Tag: Ann Ostendorf

Special Features

De-Silencing the Archive: The Benefits of Microhistory for Romani American History – Ann Ostendorf

When Jean Baptiste “La Chaume” Chevalier entered the New Orleans courtroom in July 1743 his puncture wound must still have been hurting. Few would have extended this soldier much sympathy since he had stabbed himself less than three weeks earlier. After months of laboring at the Natchez Post for an abusive commandant (a punishment he was serving for a prior desertion attempt), La Chaume had lashed out, was restrained, and…

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Contemporary Connections, Special Features

Romani History is American History – Ann Ostendorf

Few Americans consider Romani people significant to the nation’s history. Unlike in Europe, where Romani people are officially counted as the “the largest European minority,” the United States lacks structures and stories that would make visible the individuals who claim this heritage. Despite this, historical sources reveal that members of this diverse diasporic community have been present in the Americas since the beginning of colonization. Famously, four “Egiptos” were sent…

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