French Canadians in NE
The French have a lengthy history on this continent. The French became interested in the "New World" in 1524 when King Francois I sought wealth for his European domain (Brown 19). Expeditions were underwritten by the crown. It was eager to compete with other European powers in search for riches. Included in the early voyages were trips by Frenchman Jacques Cartier. Cartier discovered the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1534 (Brown 21). He made further excursions toward the heartland of the continent, resulting in vast land claims. Another early visitor to America, Samuel de Champlain, organized colonies on the mouth of the St. Croix River in 1604 and at the present site of Quebec City in 1608 (Brown 78). France quickly spread its influence from Quebec to New Orleans. Though sparsely populated, the land that France claimed was astounding in size. While the English colonies were developing along a strip of the east coast no wider than 210 miles, the French laid claim to much of the territory between the colonies and the Mississippi. Trappers, traders, and e
Political considerations were not the only struggles for the French in Canada following the Conquest. While doing research for this project, I found that several French Canadian communities recur: Thompson, CT. King Louis XIV made Canada a royal province in 1663 (Brown 116). Lawrence River Valley lay in an unproductive state because of the chaos that the war had brought. Farmers could barely support their families. Now they were thrust into roles as small farmers, roles they were untrained for. It was the Blackstone River that initially invited the earliest settlers. Stewart, The First Franco-Americans. The French had not given up their spirit, however, and in years to come gathered together for cultural survival in the Anglo world. The parish priest was, perhaps, the most powerful man in the "little Canadas" of New England. 3% of Woonsocket's inhabitants were French-Canadian in 1920 (Wessel 228). Little Compton, RI named for Compton, Quebec gives evidence to this custom. The American mill was not to become a retreat for farmers' daughters, however. They were, however, without any such prejudice against their neighbors to the south.
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Acceptance Essays
