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 […]
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Bad History
A new academic year is upon us and, with it, new opportunities to expand our field of knowledge. In history, as in all disciplines, research comes with potential pitfalls. Trained historians, though imperfect, quickly learn to avoid conceptual and methodological missteps. Problems are more frequent when practitioners of other disciplines or casual writers attempt to […]
Continue readingFrench Vermont
Last September, I had the opportunity to bring my research on French Canadians to the Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Educational Series. Established by statute in 2022, the Commission is tasked with seeking “community-centered justice and holistic healing” for individuals and groups that have suffered from policies and social practices leading to discrimination in Vermont. […]
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 Franco-Americans of ChatGPT
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 […]
Continue readingFranco-American Archives: Dartmouth College
The two-hundredth post of Query the Past finds us where we started more than six years ago—with Mason Wade. A twentieth-century historian, Wade earned attention and praise for his biographies of Margaret Fuller and Francis Parkman and later his magnum opus, The French Canadians 1760-1945 (1955). A follow-up post that elicited its own controversy addressed […]
Continue readingFranco-American Archives: Lowell and Irasburg
Last month, we revisited one of our recurring characters in light of new archival evidence. This post also brings us to Vermont, but it takes us away from politics and away from archives as we usually imagine them. Our “guest” did not have the name recognition that J. D. Bachand enjoyed in his day. He […]
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 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 […]
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