Fighting for Women's Autonomy: The Unorthodox Advocacy of Louisa Lamotte

This article looks at recent archival findings on Louisa Lamotte (1848–1907), a Creole of color who lived as an expatriate in France. Little of her life story remains in the collective memory of New Orleans's Creoles of color, and the iconic figure they created is misleading when compared with documents found in her administrative dossier in Paris. However, despite the challenges, disappointments, and rumors that ended her career as a school director, her life choices reflected the autonomy she heralded for women.