The Economy Society (Société d'Economie et d'Assistance Mutuelle) began in 1836 and disbanded around the 1950s. The organization counted as members many of the activists and entrepreneurs in a community termed colored, Black, and Negro over the century. My book, Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood tells the story of this community from the Haitian Revolution to the creation of jazz through the life of an influential society secretary. 

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Economy members served in the Battle of New Orleans and Civil War, died in the New Orleans Massacre and "Battle of Liberty Place," worked in the Reconstruction government and post-Reconstruction politics and much more. Their hall hosted public debates, theater, concerts, recitals, and balls.   

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Below are the names of the 1836 founders and men who were members of the society in 1874 and 1876 when the Economy re-incorporated to include Les Amis de l’Équité—the Friends of Equity. Hundreds of men joined and departed the society over the length of its existance. These lists are only snapshots in time.