Cloaked, hooded, and carrying a trunk on her back that included a wedding dress, French girls were brought to Louisiana in the earliest years of 1700 to marry French Colonists. Because the Frenchmen were marrying Indian women, frowned on by their military officers, the French government believed the Casquette girls would prevent that. At first, it was just twenty young girls but the numbers grew to 500. Although the girls were protected by nuns who traveled along with them until they found proper husbands, their lives in France had not been as sheltered. The Casquette girls were recruited from prisons, brothels and orphanages.
Casque is a French word for a helmet on the head, without a face covering. During the Renaissance period and later, artists began designing and creating this headwear, many were very beautiful and show examples of fine artisanship.
Suellen Ocean is the author of the series, Civil War Era Romances. Available here:
Book One, Black Pansy: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1484900278
Book Two, Blue Violet: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018ZWX0R4
Book Three, Black Lilac: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKJMTKA
Book Four, Ellie: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWVNCTS
Book Five, Rose Thorn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X1GN58T
Book Six, Mississippi Wild Blue: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072L2WWMR