Word on the street is that artificial intelligence is here to stay. Some of us are wont, with these breakthroughs, to quote that unusually profound Hollywood gem, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” But philosophy was hardly ever a match for capitalism—and […]
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The Genesis of Manchester’s Franco-American Community
On June 29, 1935, a special issue of the French-language newspaper in Manchester, New Hampshire, L’Avenir national, celebrated la Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Some articles chronicled great figures in Quebec history. Most, however, were firmly focused on the French Canadians of Manchester. In keeping with the occasion, the articles marked with undisguised pride the achievements of their community. […]
Continue readingFranco-Americans and the Construction of Race
Mention race and the conversation to follow may prove to be a powder keg. Some folks are likely to bring up (with contempt) woke ideology and critical race theory; others, systemic racism and persistent inequities. These issues are political, as they should be, politics being the space where we discuss society-wide issues to find solutions, […]
Continue readingFranco-American Archives: SUNY–Plattsburgh
We continue to see online posts and comments about the Patriot invasion and occupation of Quebec in 1775-1776. The subject has become something of a niche parlor game for Quebec history buffs. Some people are quick to opine on the merits of British rule and whether French Canadians in the St. Lawrence River valley might […]
Continue readingFranco-American Archives: UVM
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 […]
Continue readingFranco-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 readingNew Frontiers in Franco-American History
Although there is ample room for concern about the state of Franco-American culture in the U.S. Northeast, we can take (some) solace in the sustained pace of research on—and the level of interest in—Franco-American history. New works have shown that we need not envy the research endeavors of the 1980s and 1990s that led to […]
Continue readingFrench New York
My earliest memories and only childhood memories of New York State are of peaks and valleys: a family trip to Whiteface Mountain and Ausable Chasm. Eventually I would see New York City, Jamestown, Little Falls, Troy, Whitehall, Ticonderoga… the list goes on (though Watkins Glen remains obstinately on the bucket list). Only recently did I […]
Continue readingTransnational Tales of the Civil War, Part II
See Part I here. Others emigrate freely with their families, driven by poverty or despair, as, in fact, has been done for many years despite the efforts of governments and friends of domestic colonization. All of this owes to causes that are separate from what we are presently discussing; we only mention it to highlight […]
Continue readingLesson Plan: Early Franco-American History
Regular readers have heard the refrain: there are many ways in which we can deepen our knowledge of Franco-American history, many paths we have yet to take in our field of research. That is not all, however. We can broaden and discuss; we must also seek out opportunities to disseminate our findings. Many teachers and […]
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