Last year, this blog brought attention to new, innovative studies of Franco-American history. Well, in only the short time since, research has moved forward—good news for all of us who wish for a vigorous field that continues to mature and attract attention. The brief synopses presented in this post, which may not fully do justice […]
Continue readingCategory: Industrial New England
Lowell’s Darkest Day
An earlier version of this essay appeared in the spring/summer 2025 issue of Le Forum, the quarterly publication of the Franco-American Centre (University of Maine). Please cite appropriately, and please consider supporting the Franco-American Centre. * * * A man named Michaud graced the first page of the Boston Daily Globe on July 29, 1903. […]
Continue readingVoting as a Franco-American in the 1930s
In appreciation of those who have followed and supported Query the Past, I am pleased to share another translated excerpt of “Tout nous serait possible”: Une histoire politique des Franco-Américains, 1874-1945, the first regional synthesis of Franco-Americans’ political involvement. The excerpt below takes us into the messy politics of the Great Depression. * * * […]
Continue readingFreddie, We Hardly Know Ye
In some Franco-American circles, nearly 140 years after his death, Ferdinand Gagnon still benefits from instant name recognition. Gagnon was an ardent defender of French-Canadian culture in the United States and he became known as the father of the Franco-American press. He founded and edited Le Travailleur in Worcester, Massachusetts; this was one of the […]
Continue readingKeeping Kinfolk in Franco-American Holyoke
The funeral of Mrs. Melanise Larocque, 26 Broadway, was held from the home this morning [February 3, 1936] followed by solemn requiem high mass in St. George’s church. Rev. George Gagnon was celebrant, Rev. Elzear Larochelle deacon, and Rev. Albert Paquette sub-deacon. A delegation from the St. Anne Sodality of the church attended. Bearers were […]
Continue readingCorruption, Tariffs, and the French Vote (in 1892)
Francophone readers may be interested in my latest op-ed in Le Devoir, which discusses a landmark anniversary and the policy failure that gave us Franco-America. In our day, Franco-American culture seldom intersects with electoral politics. Admittedly, Paul LePage’s background attracted some attention when he became the first Franco-American governor of Maine. Last month, Kelly Ayotte […]
Continue readingThe “We” of Collective Identity
In September, Télé-Québec aired Notre rêve américain, a documentary on French-Canadian heritage in the United States hosted by Jean-Michel Dufaux and Sébastien Fréchette, a.k.a. Biz. Documentaries on the Franco-American experience are uncommon on both sides of the border; in Quebec, the (fictional) miniseries Les Tisserands du pouvoir, which aired more than thirty years ago, still […]
Continue readingThe 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 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 readingFinding Acadian Migrants in New England
The latest issue of Le Forum, published by the Franco-American Centre in Orono, carries my article on Hattie LeBlanc, an Acadian migrant accused of murder in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the early twentieth century. We know of Hattie from the extensive press coverage of her trial. Yet, in many respects, she is an exception, for the […]
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