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Politics And Krewes In New Orleans Mardi Gras

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Politics and Krewes in New Orleans Mardi Gras Throughout the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the events surrounding it have evolved enormously throughout time. It has elements that are present in celebrations in Brazil, such as krewes where groups display their political views and desire for social change, providing an outlet for change. The political nature of Mardi Gras consists of satirical floats that are often a sign of frustration towards the government. During turbulent times of Reconstruction, Mardi Gras krewes used their floats and parades as a means to express their political views, desire for change, and anger. Politics in New Orleans have been a touchy and divided topic even before the United States purchased Louisiana …show more content…

Both of these function as groups of people who often share the same class or beliefs. This idea is also in Bolivia where Diabladas and Morendas have divisions of ethnicity. The Comus krewe followed a white supremacy belief in the Reconstruction period, leading to a higher-class membership consisting of whites. Being a member of the Comus Krewe allowed the person to participate in non-violent protests against Radical Republicans and to celebrate historical references. In 1873, Comus had a float concerning the Republican Party and the free blacks who all faced ridicule (Brown, Cinnamon). The float poked fun at the sore Republicans without having long-term harm. All of this was possible by providing a group to protest with, which evoked a sense of anonymity. Even fellow Republicans used the festival of Carnival to express their views. They had state legislatures arrested in an act of revenge. The act of revenge was in reaction to Senate leaders keeping the Warmoth group out of the 1871 Republican convention (Mitchell 79). While this may seem like a good idea as it allows both the general population and politicians to participate as one, it actually degrades the politicians. It is quite inappropriate and unethical to attack an opponent, especially while exploiting the availability of Mardi Gras to get the word out. In another instance, the Carnival of 1877 had a float

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