IBERIA PARISH — Earlier this year, the New Iberia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution received an official historical marker recognizing Iberia Parish’s ties to the American Revolution. That recognition sparked months of research — and now, group members are sharing what they discovered.
A new self-guided exhibit at the Parkview Library explores how Acadian, African, Anglo, French and Spanish communities along the Bayou Teche played a role in defending the Gulf Coast from the British during the 18th century.
“They had kicked the Acadians out of Canada, so that was all British,” Susan Lissard, the America 250 chairwoman at the New Iberia chapter of the D.A.R., explained. “They were having the American Revolution along the Atlantic seaboard. That was going to be theirs. They were coming down the Mississippi, and they wanted to take the Gulf Coast. That meant that the whole block of land would have belonged to the British. Things could have been very different.”
The display outlines how these groups contributed to the broader fight for American independence and highlights the region’s strategic importance during the conflict. Organizers say the goal is to help Iberia Parish residents see their own connection to the nation’s early history.
The exhibit runs through Jan. 3, 2026, at the Parkview Library.
