The Complex Legacy of Marie Laveau: Slave Ownership, Resistance, and Underground Railroad Connections

Marie Laveau, the renowned Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, is often remembered for her spiritual influence and legendary work with the marginalized in her community. Yet, few know that she and her domestic partner, Christophe Glapion, were also slave owners. In fact, during the early 19th century, owning slaves was not uncommon for free people of color in New Orleans, particularly as the city's economy thrived on sugar and cotton plantations.

Following the end of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808, human trafficking in New Orleans persisted illegally, often involving enslaved people from the Caribbean and West Africa. Interestingly, New Orleans avoided importing slaves from Haiti due to fears of the revolutionary spirit that had resulted in Haitian independence. Instead, the city's market relied heavily on slaves imported from Africa or those sold down the river from the upper southern states.

As a free woman of color in this era, Marie Laveau would have been familiar with the harsh realities of the Louisiana Black Codes, or Code Noir, which regulated the treatment of slaves. Though the code offered certain rights, such as the ability for slaves to marry and the prohibition of family separation, it was a tool for control, designed to maintain a compliant labor force.

In 1811, when Laveau was around ten years old, the largest slave revolt in U.S. history took place about 30 miles from New Orleans—an event known as the German Coast Uprising. Hundreds of enslaved men rebelled, burning plantations and marching toward the city, though they were eventually stopped by local militias. The brutality of the response, including the decapitation of over 100 rebels, would have left a deep impression on anyone living in the region at the time, including young Marie.

While Laveau herself was not directly involved in the slave trade until her partnership with Glapion, historical records show that he had already been engaged in the buying and selling of slaves before they met. Together, the couple bought and sold slaves during their years together, though there is no evidence to suggest how they treated those they owned. Oral histories do, however, suggest that Laveau may have used her knowledge of Voodoo to aid enslaved people seeking freedom.

One intriguing piece of evidence supporting this idea is a recollection by Charles Raphael, who noted the presence of a statue of St. Maroon, the patron saint of runaway slaves, on Laveau’s altar. This statue, coupled with St. Peter, who holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven, suggests that Laveau may have been involved in aiding enslaved people on their journey to freedom. St. Peter’s association with Papa Legba in Voodoo, the guardian of spiritual crossroads, further deepens this symbolism, hinting that Laveau's household could have been a safe haven for those escaping bondage.

Though Laveau and Glapion were involved in the slave trade, their connection to the Underground Railroad and the possibility that Laveau was an abolitionist adds a complex layer to their legacy. It’s important to understand that like many historical figures, Marie Laveau's life contained contradictions—a woman who, while living in a world dominated by slavery, might also have played a role in dismantling it from within.

In 1854, Glapion sold his last enslaved person, and after his death the following year, Laveau never engaged in the slave trade again. While there are no clear answers to her motivations, the spiritual clues left on her altar suggest that her beliefs and practices aligned more with resistance than oppression, making her story all the more fascinating in the broader context of New Orleans' history.