Education is important to genealogists. You know that. And there are so many ways and places where you could invest your dollars to increase your knowledge. How do you decide which is right for you? Today Louise St. Denis helps you to answer that question. After her in-depth explanation of...
The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark Expedition–two important American historical events. We all learn about the Anglo adventurers who took part in these events. We learn about Sacajawea and maybe her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau. But we rarely learn about the other French and Métis who participated in...
Many mid-western and western town/city histories tell stories of their Anglo founders. But in many instances, the real founders were Canadiens or Métis families, often erased from the history books. In Part 2 of Settling the American West, Rob Foxcurran, co-author of Songs upon the Rivers, introduces us to...
French-Canadian voyageurs and soldiers spent parts of their careers in the Pays d’en Haut. Some stayed, and some went west. This is their story. Rob Foxcurran, co-author of Songs Upon the Rivers: the Buried History of the French-Speaking Canadiens and Métis from the Great Lakes and the Mississippi across...
I’ve often said that the best way to make sure that all our hard work as genealogists is not in vain is to publish our families’ stories. Today’s guest, David Vermette, tells his ancestral stories in an unusual context–that of the land they live on. (Is this something you...
The “filles du roi” is one of the most popular topics covered on this podcast. In previous episodes (#7 and #44), we covered these women in a general way. But today, we get down to specifics. What was a particular fille du roi’s life like? Lynne Levesque (episode #40)...
Merry Christmas to all mes cousins and Happy New Year! Have a joyous holiday season filled with peace, love, family, and friends. We’ll see everyone in 2017.
To whom did our ancestors turn when they were sick? What treatments were available? How can we tell whether we had sickly or healthy ancestors? Susan McNelley, author of Hélène’s World: Hélène Desportes of Seventeenth-Century Québec, joins us in part 4 of a series examining the lives of the...
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...
Genealogists love repositories with one-of-a-kind collections. One can only imagine what’s hiding in those stacks! Today we explore one such repository. The collections at the French Institute (on the grounds of Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts) include records from schools, religious organizations, and social organizations among others. There is shelf...
