When the French-Canadian Legacy Podcast reached out to me, several months ago, to ask why I choose to tell the Franco-American story, I was quick to write that “we’ve only scratched the surface.” That is, we know the outline of Franco-American history, but there is so much that still lies beyond historians’ reach or that has passed from the historical consciousness of Franco communities.

When I launched this blog in the spring of 2018, I was hoping to change that in some modest way. I was planning to share research that was otherwise only available behind paywalls and findings that could help expand our understanding of Franco history. Beyond this fairly basic agenda, I have posted commentaries, concerns, and resources. I have hoped to elicit new interest, provide guidance to those entering the field, and encourage healthy criticism of received information and interpretations.

I don’t know how much of that I have actually achieved, but I can at least attest to the joys I have derived from the many conversations I have had along the way, not to mention the pleasure of engaging in research, unearthing past worlds, and contributing to something that is beyond me.

This the hundredth post on this blog. I have written much more than I ever expected to, and the figure alone should be cause for celebration. Okay, it is. But, amid those joys, I cannot help but feel qu’y encore du pain s’a planche. So much more. It’s the plight of the modernist historian who is awash in available but unexplored sources—who is overwhelmed by untold or little-known stories.

I do not presume to speak for the field or to offer final answers, nor will this blog ever be the comprehensive platform for Franco history. So many impressive individuals continue to share Franco-American history, be it through courses, podcasts, public lectures, academic and general writing, local museums and historical societies, archival work, and so forth. I would provide a long list of names if I weren’t terrified of accidentally omitting distinguished individuals. This is to say that there are wonderful resources and that this blog offers one voice among many. It has been a genuine pleasure to join that conversation, to learn from others, and to have regular readers encouraging me to keep at it.

In the spring of 2018, I considered it a great success to have more than a dozen individuals read any one of my posts. Since then, some posts have gotten thousands of views. Hundreds of people check out the blog on a weekly basis. Numbers aren’t everything; they do not, on their own, speak to the merits of my work or depth of my insights. On the other hand, they do suggest that people are engaging with Franco-American history, and that is a BFD.

I am extremely appreciative of everyone who has “liked” or shared my posts. Thankful, too, for those who commented or sent feedback via e-mail. That even includes those who wrote to say, in these terms almost exactly, “you’re wrong.”

A few commenters have held this blog to a standard that is a perhaps unfair in light of the medium. My posts are not peer-reviewed academic articles, nor can I cover every single aspect of a topic in bite-sized form. Otherwise the blog would become much less accessible to non-experts trying to better understand the topic. But most of my readers have approached my work in good faith, never relinquishing their curiosity and critical thinking. For that I am very grateful.

I don’t know what the future holds. But we shall soon have a post on the French accent in Franco-American history, and then a piece on the career of Joseph Denonville Bachand. Time allowing, I hope to share more local histories that we typically do not encounter in the large surveys of Franco history.

So, readers, as we look forward and back, what posts have you especially enjoyed—or not? What kind of post would you be interested in reading in the months ahead? Comment below or on social media… Let’s keep the conversation going.

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Here are my most viewed posts. Consider sharing them with someone who might be interested in Franco-American culture and history:

1. French Canadians and the Epidemic of 1885
2. A Confederate in Canada
3. Why Franco-American History?
4. Those Other Franco-Americans: Berlin, N.H., Part I, Part II, and Part III
5. Those Other Franco-Americans: Cohoes, N.Y., Part I and Part II
6. The Canadians of Clinton County: The First Franco-Americans
7. An American General in Quebec, Part I and Part II
8. Resources: Monographs and Surveys of Franco-American History
9. Internet Resources on Franco-American History
10. Quebec and Hinterland Canadians

If you think you may have missed a post and would like to explore the site’s content further, consider checking out these articles:

1. Those Other Franco-Americans: Somersworth, N.H.
2. Ethnic Anxiety and the Race Problem
3. French Canadians and the American Political Promise
4. Mignault and Son: A Transnational Story
5. Women’s History Month: The Franco-American Press
6. La Journée de la Francophonie in Exeter, N.H.
7. Franco-American Religious Controversies: Cahensly and the Lay Catholic Congress
8. Turning the Past into Policy with Quebec Historians
9. Finding Francos in Diocesan Archives: Balancing Opportunity and Empathy
10. American and French: Robert Desty (1827-1895), Part I and Part II