Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire by Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes

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Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire by Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes

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By Charles Murphy Posted on Jan 12, 2026

In Category - Positive Psychology

Authors: Desdunes, Rodolphe Lucien, 1849-1928 Published By : Desdunes, Rodolphe Lucien, 1849-1928

Book Language: French

Ever feel like your history books are missing something? Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes felt that way his whole life. In 1911, he sat down to write the story everyone else seemed to ignore. 'Nos Hommes et Notre Histoire' is his answer. It's a book built on a simple, powerful question: what happens to a people when their history is erased? Desdunes, a Creole man of color in New Orleans, wasn't just writing about the past. He was fighting for a future where his community could see themselves as heroes, leaders, and thinkers. This is a quiet, determined act of recovery. It’s about finding the names in the silence and putting them back on the map. If you've ever wondered whose story got left out, start here.

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When a cake is thoroughly baked it shrinks from the sides of the pan. A light touch with the finger which leaves no mark is another indication that the cake is baked. TABLE OF EQUIVALENT WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 1 saltspoon = 1/4 teaspoon 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 16 tablespoons = 1 cup 2 cups = 1 pint 2 pints = 1 quart 4 cups = 1 quart 2 cups granulated sugar = 1 pound 4 cups flour = 1 pound 2 cups butter = 1 pound 2 tablespoons butter = 1 ounce 2 tablespoons liquid = 1 ounce 4 tablespoons flour = 1 ounce 1 square unsweetened chocolate = 1 ounce 3-1/2 tablespoons cocoa = 1 ounce BREADS, BISCUITS AND ROLLS Dr. Price's Baking Powder may be used instead of yeast to leaven bread. It does precisely the same work; that is, raises the dough, making it porous and spongy. The great advantage of bread made by this method is in time saved, as it can be mixed and baked in less than two hours. Milk bread needs little or no shortening, and less flour is required than when water is used. Sift flour before measuring, and use level measurements for all materials. BAKING POWDER BREAD 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 7 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1 medium-sized, cold, boiled potato Milk (water may be used) Sift thoroughly together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder, rub in potato; add sufficient liquid to mix rapidly and smoothly into soft dough. This will require about one pint of liquid. Turn at once into greased loaf pan, smooth top with knife dipped in melted butter, and allow to stand in warm place about 30 minutes. Bake in moderate oven about one hour. When done take from pan, moisten top slightly with cold water and allow to cool before putting away. BOSTON BROWN BREAD 1 cup entire wheat or graham flour 1 cup corn meal 1 cup rye meal or ground rolled oats 1 teaspoon salt 5 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 3/4 cup molasses 1-1/3 cups milk Mix thoroughly dry ingredients; add molasses to milk, and add; beat thoroughly and put into greased moulds 2/3 full. Steam 3-1/2 hours; remove covers and bake until top is dry. CORN BREAD 1 cup corn meal 1 cup flour 4 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 cups milk 1 egg 2 tablespoons shortening Mix and sift dry ingredients; add milk, beaten egg, and melted shortening; beat well and pour into greased shallow pan. Bake in hot oven about 25 minutes. SPIDER CORN BREAD 1 egg 1-3/4 cups milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup corn meal 1/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1 tablespoon shortening Beat egg and add one cup milk; stir in sugar, corn meal, flour, salt and baking powder which have been sifted together; turn into frying pan in which shortening has been melted; pour on remainder of milk, but do not stir. Bake about 25 minutes in hot oven. There should be a line of creamy custard through the bread. Cut into triangles and serve. GRAHAM BREAD 1-1/2 cups flour 1-1/2 cups graham flour 4 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon shortening 1 egg 1-1/2 cups liquid (1/2 water and 1/2 milk) 2 tablespoons sugar or molasses Mix flour, graham flour, baking powder and salt together; rub in shortening; beat egg and add with sugar or molasses to liquid; stir into dry mixture and beat well; add more milk if necessary...

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Published in 1911, Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes's book is a direct challenge to the official record. At a time when Jim Crow laws were tightening their grip, Desdunes, a Creole intellectual and civil rights activist, decided to write a different kind of history book.

The Story

This isn't a novel with a single plot. Instead, Desdunes collects the biographies of dozens of notable Creole men and women of color, primarily from Louisiana. He writes about soldiers, poets, educators, politicians, and musicians. He tells the stories of people who fought for the Union in the Civil War, who built schools, and who contributed to the rich cultural life of New Orleans and beyond. The 'story' is the collective journey of a community asserting its place in American history against a tide of prejudice and erasure.

Why You Should Read It

Reading this feels like sitting with a wise elder who is carefully unpacking a family photo album you never knew existed. The power isn't in dramatic flair, but in the steady, undeniable accumulation of facts and lives. Desdunes isn't asking for permission; he's stating what is true. You feel his quiet pride and his fierce determination on every page. It makes you look at American history sideways, asking 'Who else was in the room?' and 'What other stories are waiting to be told?'

Final Verdict

This is essential reading for anyone interested in the real, layered history of New Orleans, the African American experience, or how communities fight to preserve their identity. It's for readers who love primary sources and hearing history directly from someone who lived it. Be prepared for a straightforward, biographical style—it's a reference work with a soul. Think of it less as a page-turner and more as a foundational text, a necessary correction that remains powerfully relevant today.

📜 Legal Disclaimer

This masterpiece is free from copyright limitations. Access is open to everyone around the world.