I hope you enjoyed episode #85, part 1 of the Museum of Work & Culture. In part 2, we continue our virtual tour with a look at the mill-sponsored baseball teams, the ubiquitous triple decker (at least in New England cities), a parochial classroom, and a union hall. All...
Do you have ancestors who came to New England to work in the mills? This virtual tour of the Museum of Work and Culture will demonstrate what life was like for the many who left their farms for a chance at a regular paycheck and a guaranteed day off....
There was a well-known migration from Quebec to New England after the Civil War. The cotton mills and shoe factories beckoned struggling farmers with large families to support. But what about those who migrated before the Civil War? How many were there? Why did they move when they did?...
A Boston newspaper in 1889 described French-Canadian immigrants in this way: “They are kept a distinct alien race, subject to the Pope in matters of religion and of politics. Soon…they will govern you, Americans.” They spoke a foreign language. They followed the Popish religion. They were mysterious and threatening...
French-Canadian genealogy is easy, right? Within hours, a knowledgeable genealogist can trace his or her ancestry from 21st-century America or Canada back to 16th- or 17th-century France. Usually. We all have a line or two that gives us trouble–an ancestor who shows up in the US from who-knows-where. Today’s...
Is it possible to go to bed a Canadian and wake up an American? Sure is! It happened to our ancestors thanks to the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. Guest George Findlen shares the story of this uncertain period of time and the depositions created by our ancestors to prove the land...
More KKK members in New England than the South? Really? Yes, at one time in the early 20th century this was true. And they were attacking Franco-Americans. Why? Dr. Eileen Angelini will tell us this interesting story about a little-known chapter in American history. In Language Tip #39, we’ll...
Are you planning a trip to France? If so, take along your ancestors’ hometown information so you can visit and make it a truly memorable experience. A listener wrote in asking about the reliability of the Fichier Origine database. She had found some intriguing information on her ancestors’ origins and...
