Paris, je t'aime....You have probably seen the specific meme on t-shirts, souvenirs of any kind, cabarets and posters. Heck, there's even a movie titled like this.
There's no doubt that people from all over the world love Paris and its rich history, as it is the most visited city on the planet.
The capital of Enlightenment, perfumery and fashion, hides so many stories within its walls, with some being really popular and some not so much. One such lesser-known story about Paris and its wicked laws is the Wacky Fact of today!
The Menu of the Day
Back in 1719, the French had the not so bright idea to hire Scottish economist John Law as Controller General of Finances of France. Famous for his radical and "liberal" ideas, Mr. Law soon realized that Paris had way too many prisoners. More than France could ever feed. So, he came up with a quite brilliant idea...NOT!
He decided to offer freedom to the prisoners of Paris but only if they would accept his two terms: a) to marry a prostitute, and b) to move to Louisiana in the United States of America. By modern standards, that would "translate" to a free ticket with Emirates's first-class cabin for you and your new pornstar wife.
Additionally, every newly married couple was offered land and provisions in the colony as well. What a DEAL, huh?
The Aftermath
Soon after the first ship arrived in Louisiana though, the prisoners with their "pornstar" wives realized that John Law was probably a bigger scumbag than them. No provisions, food, or shelter was waiting for them as they had been promised, while the place became quickly overcrowded with too many outlaws and criminals that created a very, very, very heated atmosphere.
Over the following years, Louisiana became the most violent and deadly state in America, while John Law back in Paris was desperately trying to prove how his "Louisiana Project" was a success story! Ummm, I think I've heard all this before...
The furious French authorities fired Law and forced him flee to Belgium, from where he moved to Venice spending the rest of his life gambling and sleeping with prostitutes. Isn't it ironic that he didn't pick Louisiana which he described as "Garden of Eden" for his final destination?
References:
When Parisian Prisoners Were Offered Freedom if they Agreed to Marry Prostitutes
Louisiana and France’s Forced Colonization Experiment