France in America

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Annotation

This bilingual website (English and French) explores the history of the French presence in North America from the early 16th century to the end of the 19th century through more than 360 manuscripts, books, maps, and other documents. Each thematic presentation—"Exploration and Knowledge," "The Colonies," "Franco-Indian Alliances," "Imperial Struggles," and "The French and North America after the Treaty of Paris"—includes a title exhibit and additional exhibits that highlight particular items in the collection. Materials can also be browsed in the collections section.

A timeline (1515–1804) organizes events in French America by explorations, colonization and development, and conflicts and diplomacy, and places them in the context of events in France. Additionally, there are eight descriptive maps that show various Indian groups in contact with the French and the changes in political boundaries in North America from before 1763 to the era of the Louisiana Purchase.

Steering Oar

Description

To navigate the Kansas River in the 1820s, you needed the right equipment—a keelboat. Curators and experts at the Kansas Museum of History look at the history behind a steering oar which helped a fur trader's keelboat stay the course on the mighty Kaw.

Frontier Settlement

Description

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, traces the settlement of Illinois from the early years of European exploration of North America to the 1860s. It focuses particularly on the relationship between settler groups and Native Americans, on the construction of infrastructure that linked Illinois to the rest of the emerging U.S., and on the changing culture of the state's occupants.

Texas Maritime Museum

Description

The Texas Maritime Museum provides exhibits on the history and technology of offshore petroleum production and transportation; the history and development of Texas seaports, maritime communities, and maritime commerce along the Gulf; the exploration and settlement history of the Texas Gulf Coast, including by the Spanish and the French; and an overview of the Texas seafood and fishing industry.

The museum offers exhibits, tours for school groups, in-class outreach presentations, traveling trunk "treasure chests" for loan, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Fort Toulouse / Fort Jackson State Historic Site [AL]

Description

History is alive and outside at Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson. Here Native Americans, Spanish explorers, French soldiers, English and Scottish traders, American settlers, and modern archaeologists have all left their mark. Frequent living history events showcase a recreated 1751 French fort, recreated Creek Indian houses, and the partially restored 1814 American Fort Jackson. A 3,000-year-old Mississipian Indian mound, the William Bartram Nature Trail, and an early 19th-century house weave even more strands into this colorful tapestry of Alabama's earliest days.

Two other websites for the site exist: a second general website here and a website for the site's living history programs here.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site [LA]

Description

Fort St. Jean Baptiste was established by the French in 1716 to prevent the Spanish in Texas from entering French Louisiana. The fort proved crucial to trade among the French, Spanish, and local Native Americans. In 1762, with the loss of the French and Indian War, France ceded the Louisiana Territory to Spain. Initially used for trade purposes, the fort was eventually abandoned by the Spanish as it lacked an obvious military purpose. The historic site contains a reconstruction of the fort.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and a picnic site.

Osage County Historical Society, Hawley Genealogical Research Center, and Museum [KS]

Description

The Osage County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Osage County, Kansas. To this end, the society operates a museum of local history. Topics addressed include business, farming, railways, coal mining, and family life. The area's ethnic heritage includes African Americans and English, Welsh, Swedish, French, Irish, German, and Italian immigrants.

The museum offers exhibits. The research center offers access to official Orange County records, as well as research assistance. Payment is required for research assistance.