Part A — Multiple Choice

1. B) The Bando de Buen Gobierno (Proclamation of Good Government). This was the official name of the June 2, 1786 decree issued by Spanish Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró requiring all Black women to cover their hair with a tignon.
2. C) Spanish Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró, 1786. Miró served as Governor of Louisiana from 1785 to 1791 and issued the decree on June 2, 1786.
3. C) A visible sign of belonging to the slave class, even for free women. The decree explicitly stated the tignon was to serve as "a visible sign of belonging to the slave class" — regardless of whether the woman wearing it was actually enslaved.
4. C) They complied but decorated their tignons with fine fabrics, jewels, feathers, and ribbons — turning it into high art. Free Black women obeyed the law technically while completely destroying its purpose by making the tignon more spectacular than any hairstyle it replaced.
5. B) White women in New Orleans and eventually Empress Joséphine of France adopted it as high fashion. The headwrap meant to mark Black women as inferior became the most fashionable accessory in New Orleans and later haute couture in Paris.
6. C) After the United States acquired Louisiana in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The law was no longer enforced after the Louisiana Purchase, though Black women continued wearing tignons by choice long after.
7. B) Gens de Couleur Libres. French for "free people of color," this term described the prosperous free Black and mixed-race community of colonial New Orleans who owned property, ran businesses, and received education.

Part B — Short Answer Key Points

8. Question: Explain why the colonial government issued the Tignon Law. Use at least two specific details — one about the status of free Black women and one about the stated purpose of the law.
   A strong answer should include:
   • Free Black women in New Orleans owned property, ran businesses, and received education — their visible prosperity and elegance threatened the racial hierarchy the colonial system depended on
   • White women were furious that free Black women looked wealthier and more elegant than they did
   • The decree explicitly stated the tignon was to serve as "a visible sign of belonging to the slave class" — its purpose was racial classification through appearance, not hygiene or modesty
   • Historian Virginia Gould documented that Miró targeted women who "competed too freely with white women for status and thus threatened the social order"
9. Question: Describe at least three of the six tignon headwrap styles and explain what each communicated as an act of resistance.
   A strong answer should include three of the following:
   • High Turban Wrap — stacked fabric tall above the head, asserting height, presence, and visibility — the opposite of invisibility the law intended
   • Side Knot — dramatically tied knot to one side, adorned with feathers or brooches — displaying ornamentation the law tried to remove
   • Layered Wrap — multiple fabrics of contrasting colors and textures, displaying wealth through abundance of material
   • Draped Style — fabric falling softly around the face and shoulders, referencing West African textile traditions — asserting African cultural identity
   • Twisted Crown — intricate twisting and folding requiring significant skill, demonstrating artistry that could not be legislated away
   • Jeweled Wrap — the most opulent style, adorned with rings, pins, gemstones, coral beads, and ribbon — more elaborate than any hairstyle the law tried to suppress
10. Question: The Tignon Law was meant to make free Black women look enslaved. Instead it backfired. Using at least two specific details, explain why it failed.
    A strong answer should include:
    • Free Black women technically complied but transformed the mandated headwrap into high art using silk, madras, and richly dyed fabrics in deep reds, vibrant blues, and brilliant yellows
    • Historian Carolyn Long documented that the tignon became "a fashion statement" that "enhanced the beauty of women of color" — the opposite of its intended effect
    • White women began copying the tignon style — the badge of supposed shame became the most fashionable accessory in New Orleans
    • Empress Joséphine of France adopted the style as haute couture in Paris — the law meant to demote Black women ultimately elevated their cultural influence to European courts
    • This demonstrates that appearance as a tool of social control has limits — creativity, artistry, and cultural knowledge cannot be legislated away