Welcome to the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America! As you browse the site, you will learn about the heritage of French-speaking North America, as well as about its history and diversity. Get to know the people who preserve and cherish it, discover the places where it finds expression and become familiar with the trends that have shaped and influenced its evolution throughout history.

Article Summary

Frances Anne Hopkins, Voyageurs at Dawn (detail), LAC

By Villerbu, Tangi

French-Canadian Trappers of the American Plains and Rockies

The bicentennial celebrations of the expedition led by Lewis and Clark from St. Louis (on the Mississippi) to the mouth of the Columbia River (on the shores of the Pacific) took place in the United States in 2004-2006.  The festivities revived interest in this period of history and resulted in a closer look at the situation that prevailed in the western part of the North American continent at the turn of the 19th century.  The resulting research revealed two things:  that there had been a considerable number of French-speakers in the region at the time of the expedition and that, hist...

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The English version of the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America is online since December 15th, 2009. It features an ever growing number of articles, documents and resources on the heritage of French-speaking North America.

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Encylcopedia of French Cultural
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