A Fierce and Fractious Frontier: The Curious Development of Louisiana's Florida Parishes, 1699-2000

Louisiana s Florida Parishes eight modern-day parishes located in the southeastern portion of the state endured a tumultuous evolution, including domination by every major power that invaded North America, exclusion from the Louisiana Purchase, insurrection and the establishment of the original Lone Star Republic, and some of the highest rates of rural homicide recorded in American history. The area was long neglected by scholars until some of its foremost experts came together to explore and celebrate its singular identity. A Fierce and Fractious Frontier, edited by Samuel C. Hyde Jr., is a result of that collaboration and consists of ten essays on the history and culture of this unique territory from its colonial periods through the twentieth century. Revealing the difficulties of the past and suggesting considerations for the future of Louisiana s Florida Parishes, this volume will stand as a model for the emerging field of southern subregional studies.