In the United States, July is designated as National French-American Heritage Month and was established to honor the significant contributions made to the country by people of French descent.
READ
Honoring the Past. Celebrating the Present. Building the Future - The French-American Cultural Foundation
The French-American Cultural Foundation is committed to advancing and enhancing partnerships between France and America through initiatives in the arts, business, and sciences. We celebrate our shared culture and a way of life that emphasizes independence, creativity, and excellence.
The French In North America: 1500-1783 - W. Eccles
This vivid account of the crucial role played by the French in the Western Hemisphere chronicles the rise and fall of the French empire on the mainland of North America and the West Indies, from the arrival of the Breton, Norman and Basque fishermen on the Grand Banks around 1500 to the sale of Louisiana to the United States in 1803.
Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience - Raymonde Carroll
“Raymonde Carroll presents an intriguing and thoughtful analysis of the many ways French and Americans—and indeed any members of different cultures—can misinterpret each other, even when ostensibly speaking the same language. Cultural misunderstandings, Carroll points out, can arise even where we least expect them—in our closest relationships. The revealing vignettes that Carroll relates, and her perceptive comments, bring to light some fundamental differences in French and American presuppositions about love, friendship, and raising children, as well as such everyday activities as using the telephone or asking for information.
Bringing France Back into American History - JSTOR Daily
“The French in North America, from Canada to the Caribbean, have traditionally been given short shrift in American and Canadian history. Yet the influence of the French is clearly present. Fifteen U.S. state names are of French origin, or are from Native American words as rendered or transcribed by the French (like Illinois). The Cajun culture of Louisiana is famous. Even in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, French is still a common language, after English and Spanish. (Jack Kerouac, born in 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts, to parents who migrated south from Quebec, spoke French until he was six and is said to have not been fluent in English until he was a teen.)”
WATCH
A Story of the French-American Friendship - PBS
From Le Marquis de la Fayette to the creation of the French Caucus, this video from the Embassy of France in Washington explores the symbols of French-American friendship throughout the city of Washington DC.
LISTEN
The Land of Desire: French History and Culture - Apple Podcasts
French history is wacky, wonderful - and seriously weird. If the only thing you know about French history is that you hated reading A Tale of Two Cities in high school, pour yourself a glass of pinot noir and get ready for a wild ride. Learn about the time France ran out of cows - and figured out how to eat zebras. Learn about the eccentric national hero keeping bees on top of the Louvre. Learn about the revolution which fought for brotherhood, equality, and a national holiday for marshmallows!
The Franco-American Alliance 1778 - In Our Time: History - BBC Radio
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the treaties France entered into with the United States of America in 1778, to give open support to the USA in its revolutionary war against Britain and to promote French trade across the Atlantic. This alliance had profound consequences for all three.
New France: The End of an Era (1647-1663) - The Other States of America History Podcast
The people of New France witness the utter desolation of many of their Native allies, only to find themselves living under the constant siege of the Haudenosaunee. Desperate pleas to New England to start a Holy War against the Iroquois fall on deaf ears as the English leave the French to fend for themselves. Martyrs and Heroines are made, visions and signs of the end times abound.
