You can find regular nuggets of French-Canadian and Franco-American history on Query the Past’s new Facebook page. Click “Follow” on the page to avoid missing news and updates. We might file this story under “Those Other Franco-Americans,” the QTP series on communities whose French heritage remains little known. Relatively few people in New England, perhaps […]
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LeMay’s French-Canadian Holidays
Pamphile LeMay (1837-1918) is little known to recent generations of Quebeckers. But he was once a literary celebrity. Like many of his contemporaries, a civil service position enabled LeMay to dedicate time to his leisures. He wrote poetry, novels, and plays; he also translated Longfellow’s Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie into French. His original works […]
Continue readingThe Latest in Franco-American History
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 readingVermont’s Ladies of St. Anne (1919-1940)
Between emergent historical research, the state-appointed Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the upcoming PoutineFest, interest in Vermont’s French heritage appears to be ticking in the right direction. Those wishing to learn more should consider attending the Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society’s annual conference in South Burlington on September 27. Vermont PoutineFest will be held the next […]
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 readingSurvivance as a Phase
Many important works of Franco-American history—local studies, surveys, biographies, etc.—have appeared in the last decade. Researchers who are engaged in scholarship have their own, slightly forbidding arena in the form of academic journals. Typically, broader perspectives on the United States’ French universe from non-historians have been accessible online or in occasional in-person events, with few […]
Continue readingHow Franco-America Was Built
The latest issue of the academic journal Recherches sociographiques deserves the attention of anyone and everyone with an interest in the transnational history of Acadians and French Canadians. It honors the sixtieth anniversary of a pioneering issue on French-Canadian migrations with a new set of articles that highlight the extent to which, in the intervening […]
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 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 I
Private Sylvester Turner’s experiences during the War of the Rebellion are probably lost to time. But those experiences were undoubtedly trying, complex, and sobering. The Second Vermont Infantry with which Turner served fought in some of the bloodiest engagements of the war, including Antietam and Gettysburg. In fact, the Vermont Brigade had an unequalled casualty […]
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