For generations, it was common to hear the most fatalistic in Quebec claim, “on est né pour un p’tit pain.” In other words, French Canadians were to settle for a simple life—without wealth or status—built around moral virtues. As in most things in Quebec, it is possible to read the influence of British conquest and […]
Continue readingCategory: Historiography
Canadian History Resources Online
Following last week’s post on U.S. history online, this one also highlights the treasures of the digital age. What are your favorite places to pause for history online? Share in the comment section below. Atlas historique du Québec The number of books, chapters, and articles on the digital Atlas historique is impressive. The site covers […]
Continue readingAmerican History Resources Online
When it comes to history, there are a lot of reliable web resources curated by historians, archivists, and editors. It is truly an embarrassment of riches. Stepping away from Franco-American history for a few weeks, I take this opportunity to share some sites I have especially enjoyed visiting over the years, either out of sheer […]
Continue readingIt’s a Big Country
Please indulge my truisms for a moment—and entertain a post which, in true scholarly spirit, offers more questions than answers. To say that the Great Republic is a big country—physically—usually means something very abstract, except for those of us who have a habit of driving when air travel is available. My better half and I […]
Continue readingWhy Franco-American History?
Good luck finding a French Canadian who has no personal connection to the grande saignée, the wave of emigration that afflicted Canada from 1840 to the Great Depression. I, for one, could mention my own great-, great-, great-, great-grandparents, Joseph and Dorothée Royer, who spent several years in the United States around 1830. Wave after […]
Continue readingReflections on the Franco “Acade-munity”
In a recent discussion of the Progressive Era, one of my students noted that scientists are ideally dedicated to the pursuit of a whole, unvarnished, and uncompromised truth, whereas activists are interested only in the truths that serve their cause. That may well be a fair portrayal of the social scientists and reformers of the […]
Continue readingFranco-Americans and the U.S. History Survey
In the last twenty years, the emergence of transnational and borderlands history has profited many areas of historical research. Scholars have increasingly challenged portrayals of borders as immutable markers of national identity. The new approaches have helped us to better recognize the fluidity of identities across borders and, often, in spite of borders. But, as […]
Continue readingResources: Scholarly Journal Articles on Franco-American History
Last week, on this blog, I listed ten major surveys and monographs on Franco-American history in hopes of providing a basis for preliminary research. Equally important are studies published in scholarly journals. I have selected the following ten partly because of their effect on the overall scholarly conversation, but also because they address topics sometimes […]
Continue readingResources: Monographs and Surveys of Franco-American History
With the publication of a series of “Image of America” tomes and David Vemette’s landmark work on Franco-American history, scholars and history enthusiasts alike have reason to be excited about the state of the field.[1] In hopes of helping researchers who are starting on the subject, I am offering here a beginner’s guide to secondary […]
Continue readingFinding a Larger Canvas: Franco-Americans’ Enduring Significance
An earlier version of this essay appeared in Le Forum, vol. 39, no. 3 (fall 2017), 3-5. See the full original version here. How knowledgeable are you of Franco-American history? What about your fellow Americans, or your fellow Canadians—how conversant are they? Unfortunately, many Americans of French descent know little about their heritage; it is […]
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