Culture

Lafayette, Louisiana is known for its Cajun and Creole culture, which is influenced by the city's diverse history and population:

The Acadians, or Cajuns, were expelled from Canada in the late 1700s and settled in Louisiana.

History

• The Attakapa, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Opelousa peoples were some of the first to inhabit the area.
• The first European settlement was Petit Manchac, a trading post established by French colonists along the Vermilion River.
• After being expelled from Canada in 1755, around 18,000 Acadian refugees settled in the area. They married other French, Spanish, and African settlers, forming the Cajun and Creole cultures.
• In 1824, the area was named Vermilionville and selected as the seat of Lafayette Parish. Incorporation
• In 1836, the Louisiana State Legislature approved the incorporation of the area. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Originally named the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (SLII), the university opened in 1901. In 1960, it was renamed the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and in 1999, it took on its current name.
• In 1953, four Black students were prevented from registering at the university, sparking the movement to integrate the school. In 1954, John Harold Taylor became the first Black student to enroll.