This summer, Query the Past will be offering occasional glimpses of Franco-focused archival collections from northern New England. The University of Vermont’s Special Collections Library is the first stop in this digital journey. * * * Readers of “Tout nous serait possible” and this blog may recall Joseph Denonville Bachand (1881-1970), the dentist whose long […]
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Franco-American Politics in Northern New England
Some four years ago I completed a draft of my “COVID book,” which would be published as “Tout nous serait possible”: Une histoire politique des Franco-Américains, 1874-1945, the first full-length regional synthesis of Franco-Americans’ political involvement. The book is available in French only, though many aspects have appeared in similar form on this blog since […]
Continue readingObstacles to Naturalization: The Case of Connecticut
We are fast approaching the second anniversary of the publication of “Tout nous serait possible”: Une histoire politique des Franco-Américains, 1874-1945, the first full-length regional synthesis of Franco-Americans’ political involvement. I am very grateful for the support of the Presses de l’Université Laval, generous reviews, and readers’ willingness to give it their time and attention. […]
Continue readingBack-Page Americans: Clippings
In conversation with Claire-Marie Brisson of the North American Francophone Podcast, several years ago, I introduced the concept of “back-page Americans,” which applies to many historically marginalized groups. In the context of Franco-American history, the concept grows out of the seeming invisibility of French Canadians in the mainstream (i.e. non-ethnic) American press. In reality, immigrants […]
Continue readingVoting While Franco-American: The View from Plattsburgh
Franco-American political candidates do not earn the same easy acclaim from their own heritage community they once did. This is especially clear in Maine, where Paul LePage seeks to return to the governor’s office. By virtue of his policies and his remarks on his ethnic background, LePage has alienated many compatriots. His opponent, by contrast, […]
Continue readingFranco-Americans as Political Actors
A more extensive version of this post appeared as “The Political World of Franco-Americans” in the summer issue of Le Forum (University of Maine). After decades of inconsistent research, questions about Franco-Americans’ political involvement abound. Though we should not underestimate the contributions and insights of such scholars as Norman Sepenuk, Madeleine Giguère, Ronald Petrin, J.-André […]
Continue readingRetour sur l’histoire politique franco-américaine
Celles et ceux qui fréquentent ce blogue depuis un certain temps seront sans doute surpris d’y trouver un billet en français. Depuis le début, mon site vise notamment à populariser l’histoire canadienne-française et franco-américaine auprès d’un lectorat anglophone—étatsunien, notamment. D’ailleurs, la vie franco-américaine d’aujourd’hui se déroule surtout en anglais. Or, la publication de « Tout nous […]
Continue readingFrench Canadians 100 Years Ago: September to December
Franco-Americans—and a larger community of French Canadians—were visible in 1921. This is the third part of a year-long tour of major stories concerning Quebec and its diaspora. See the second installment here. September Biddeford’s French-language newspaper runs a profile of a now-forgotten Franco-American known as “Mr. Zero.” The nickname belongs to a Mainer named Urbain […]
Continue readingChalifoux, Part II: The Franco-American Who Won Boston
See Part I here. As it still does, commercial prominence translated into political influence. In the spring of 1891, the Chalifoux family welcome William Eustis Russell, the Bay State’s young Democratic governor, then visiting Lowell for the first time since his election. Former Lowell mayors, prominent businessmen, and editor Benjamin Lenthier of Le National were […]
Continue readingA Political History of Franco-Americans: The Book
As many of you know, my first academic book, John F. Kennedy and the Politics of Faith, is now available from the University Press of Kansas. I am touched by the expressions of interest and support I’ve received in the last few weeks. As readers might suspect, the book is drawing attention due to its […]
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