Europeans’ arrival on the shores of Lake Champlain, in 1609, came with a thunderous blow. Later deemed a discoverer despite the Indigenous presence, Samuel de Champlain gave his name first to the lake and, eventually, to a town in far northern New York. There, today, the Samuel de Champlain History Center honors his legacy. In […]
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Corruption, 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 readingLesson Plan: Maine Acadians
In preparation for the first regional National History Day (NHD) competition in Aroostook County, the Acadian Archives provided a set of primary documents to organizers and teachers. These documents, some drawn from the Archives’ own collections, showcase the history and experiences of French-heritage communities in far northern Maine. I am pleased to expand access to […]
Continue readingThe Vermont Abortion Cases (1858-1878)
Lucina Young. Olive Ash. Leafy Brown. Lydia Chase Cook. Mattie Spaulding. Harriet Titus Gaudette. Eliza McMahon. Caroline Bettis. Undoubtedly, some of them wished to be forgotten, their lives and tragic deaths forever passing from human memory. The history I offer here may therefore be, in Voltaire’s words, “a pack of tricks that we play upon […]
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