LEADERSHIP & RANK
France and the World
France and Europe
Other Competitiveness Concerns
Issues of Rank
France and French in the Western Hemisphere
Strong and Sustained Historical Presence in the US
The French and the British were the first two European groups to move here in large numbers. The French were the first to explore the Great-Lakes region, Mississippi river, from Minnesota on down, and first to colonize Louisiana and to take a census there. The first farms in Missouri were established around 1725 by French settlers in the Ste. Genevieve area, but the exploration of "Le Pays des Illinois" (Mid-Mississippi Valley) had begun in the 1670s. French coureurs-de-bois developed the fur trade and explored the Rockies, leading the way for English traders and settlers. The French were the first to challenge Spain in South Carolina. There was significant migration of French Huguenots into this country, and a sigificant migration of Frenh-Canadians to work in New England factories.. Even the Portland and Seattle regions were first explored by the French, though first settled by Germans and Scandinavians. See the following page for exhaustive information on these:
The maps linked below show the extension of French interests through the middle of the eighteenth century.
French Expansion 1698-1713
French Expansion 1714-1744
CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana)
It is little wonder there are so many French and francophone place names in the United States, as demonstrated in the partial list below (some of which were proposed by FLTEACH listmembers), and in the web link to a French place-names atlas: Abbeville AL, Bayou La Batre AL, Dauphin Island AL, Luverne AL, Labouchere Bay AK, Dumas AR, Fayetteville AR, Gravette AR, LaGrange AR, Maumelle AR, Tollette AR, Beaumont CA, Lafayette CA, Le Grand CA, Louisville CO, Montville, CT La Crosse FL, Tavernier FL, Abbeville GA, Fayetteville GA, Girard GA, Louisville GA, Boise, ID, Dubois ID, Bartonville IL, Beaucoup IL, Belle Prairie IL, Belle Rive IL, Belleville IL, Bellevue IL, Carondelet IL, Du Bois IL, Fort Crevecoeur, Fort De Chartres IL, Girard IL, La Fayette IL, La Grange IL, La Harpe IL, Louisville IL, Lyons IL, Maquon IL, Marcelline IL, Marquette Heights IL, Marseilles IL, Maunie IL, Modoc IL, Prairie du Rocher IL, Renault IL, St. Anne IL, Ste. Marie IL, Terre Haute IL, Vergennes IL, Busseron IN, Dupont IN, Dupont IN, La Fontaine IN, Lagrange IN, La Porte IN, Metz IN, Napoleon IN, Orleans IN, Terre Haute IN, Vincennes IN, Belle Plaine IA, Bellevue IA, Des Moines IA, Fontanelle IA, La Motte IA, La Porte IA, Le Claire IA, Le Grand IA, Le Mars IA, Leon IA, Le Roy IA, Marne IA, Marquette IA, Belle Plaine KS, Belleville KS, Belpre KS, Belvue KS, La Crosse KS, La Cygne KS, La Harpe KS, Le Roy KS, Lyons KS, Marquette KS, Auxier KY, Bellefonte KY, Bellevue KY, LaFayette KY, La Grange KY, Versailles KY, Abbeville LA, Anse-aux-Pailles LA, Arnaudville LA, Baie Côte Blanche LA, Baton Rouge LA, Bayou Bourbeux LA, Bayou Cane LA, Bayou Cocodrie LA, Bayou Coteau LA, Bayou des Allemands LA, Bayou des Glaises LA, Bayou Gauche LA, Bayou Grand Caillou LA, Bayou Maurice LA, Bayou Noir LA, Bayou Petit Caillou LA, Bayou Terrebonne LA, Belle Chasse LA, Belle Rose LA, Bienville LA, Bossier LA, Boutte LA, Broussard LA, Butte LaRose LA, Côte Gelée LA, Cortableau LA, Chataignier LA, Chauvin LA, Choudrant LA, Dos Gris LA, Coulee Croche LA, Goudeau LA, Grand Cane LA, Grand Coteau LA, Grosse Tete LA, Isles Dernières LA, Jean Lafitte LA, Lac des Allemands LA, Lafayette LA, Lebeau LA, Le Blanc LA, Le Moyen LA, Loreauville LA, Marais Bouleurs LA, Marais Castille LA, Maringouin LA, Meraux LA, Mermentau LA, Mer Rouge LA, Napoleonville LA, Paincourtville LA, Plaquemine LA, Plaucheville LA, Pointe-aux-Chênes LA, Pointe Noir LA, Port Barre LA, Provencal LA, Theriot LA, Thibodaux LA, Belanger ME, Belmont ME, Bernard ME, Calais ME, Caribou ME, Cape Rosier ME, Carriveau ME, Castine ME, Chamberlain ME, Charlotte ME, Costigan ME, Crouseville ME, Daigle ME, Deblois ME, Detroit ME, Dufour ME, Fayette ME, Fournier ME, Frenchville ME, Grand Isle ME, Guerette ME, Isle au Haut ME, Lac Frontiere ME, Lagrange ME, Larone ME, Levant ME, Lille ME, Masardis ME, Merepoint ME, Minot ME, Ouellette ME, Plourde ME, Portage ME, Presque Isle ME, Rosemont ME, St. Croix ME, Sebec ME, Seboeis ME, Solon ME, Violette ME, Tarantine ME, Tulouse ME, Havre de Grace MD, La Vale MD, Barre MA, Gibertville MA, Orleans MA, Pocasset MA, Touisset MA, Alma MI, Au Sable MI, Bois Blanc MI, Cadillac MI, Calumet MI, Charlevoix MI, De Tour MI, Detroit MI, Eau Claire MI, Grand Blanc MI, Grandville MI, Grosse Ile MI, Grosse Pointe MI, L'Anse MI, Lyons MI, Marquette MI, Menominee MI, Montague MI, Napoleon MI, Sault Ste. Marie MI, St. Ignace MI, Claudette MN, Belair MN, Belle Plaine MN, Champlain MN, Grand Marais MN, La Crescent MN, Lac Qui Parle MN, Lafayette MN, Laporte MN, La Prairie MN, La Salle MN, Le Roy MN, Le Sueur MN, Luverne MN, Lyon MN, Mille Lacs MN, Marine on St. Croix MN, Nicolette MN, Ranier MN, Roseau MN, Benoit MS, Bourbon MS, D'Iberville MS, D'Lo MS, Dumas MS, Ecru MS, Fayette MS, Gautier MS, Le Tourneau MS, Louisville MS, Alma MO, Belgique MO, Belle MO, Bellefontaine Neighbors MO, Bellerive MO, Bourbon MO, Cape Girardeau MO, Chamois MO, Champ MO, Creve Coeur MO, Dardenne Prairie MO, Des Peres MO, Des Arc MO, Desloge MO, Laclede MO, La Due MO, Florissant MO, Frontenac MO, Ladue MO, La Grange MO, Noel MO, Olivette MO, Peruque MO, St Louis MO, Stainte Genevieve MO, Bainville MT, Butte MT, Chadron NE, Du Bois NE, Louisville NE, Marquette NE, Orleans NE, Pinardville NH, Bayonne NJ, Dumont NJ, Lambertville NJ, Au Sable Forks NY, Cape Vincent NY, Centre Island NY, Champlain NY, Le Roy NY, Roessleville NY, Valatie NY, Beaufort NC, Cape Carteret NC, La Grange NC, Lenoir NC, Des Lacs ND, Bottineau ND, Souris ND, Belcourt ND, Napoleon ND, Alliance OH, Bellefontaine OH, Champaign OH, Fayette OH, Fayetteville OH, Gambier OH, Lafayette OH, Lagrange OH, La Rue OH, Lorrain OH, Louisville OH, Mariemont OH, Marietta OH (for Marie Antoinette), Montpelier OH, Petitsville OH, Racine OH, Strasburg OH, Terre Haute OH, Versailles OH, Chouteau OK, Poteau OK, Prue OK, Lafayette OR, La Grande OR, Lyons OR, Bellefonte PA, Belleville PA, Bellevue PA, Bonneauville PA, Conneautville PA, DuBois PA, North Versailles PA, Volant PA, Abbeville SC, Beaufort SC, Bonneau SC, La France SC, Belle Fourche SD, Pierre SD, Enville TN, Fayetteville TN, Heloise TN, Lafayette TN, La Follette TN, La Grange TN, La Vergne TN, Bellaire TX, Bellevue TX, Bellville TX, Dumas TX, Estelline TX, Grand Prairie TX, LaCoste TX, La Grange. TX, La Marque TX, La Porte TX, Duchesne UT, Fayette UT, Calais VT, E. & N. Calais VT, Barre VT, Grand Isle VT, Isle La Motte VT, Lamoille VT, Montpelier VT, Orleans, VT, Vergennes VT, Chantilly VA, La Crosse VA, Purcellville VA, Beaux Arts Village WA, La Crosse WA, Ronceverte WV, Allouez WI, Alma WI, Belleville WI, Bellevue WI, Blanchardville WI, De Pere WI, Lac du Flambeau WI, Lac La Belle WI, La Crosse WI, Eau Claire WI, La Farge WI, Fond du Lac WI, Lafayette County WI, La Valle WI, Marquette WI, Portage WI, Poynette WI, Prairie du Chien WI, Prairie du Sac WI, Racine WI, Trempealeau WI, La Grange WY.
Land Between the Waters: The French History of Illinois
The French in Illinois
French Lifestyle on the Illinois Frontier
French Peoria in the Illinois Country, 1673-1846
The French in Indiana, 1700-1760: A Political History
French Michigan (issue of Hirtory for Kids)
La Salle's French Fort in Texas
Wisconsin's French Connections
History of the French Community in Los Angeles
Maine's French Communities
The French Heritage of St. Louis: 1764 - 1804
L'Alliance Française @ Globe-Gate [the first section]
There is French in English
Contact with French: The two periods
How French Has Influenced English
The Language from Chaucer to Shakespeare - Influence of Romance languages
In its 1992 report, "College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers", the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged four or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied four or more years in any other subject area. Nancy Rhodes, secretary of the Network for Early Language Learning, an organization that advocates foreign language study, points to research among third and fourth graders in Louisiana. Those who studied French scored higher in English testing than students in the control group who did not. Of course, studying any foreign language can give you special insights into and an advantage in perfecting English, but why not choose to study a language like French, whose affinity with English is so rich that what you know about one language is bound to help you with the other?!!
Africa, where US businesses have more than doubled their direct investments since 1990, and where economists predict a 20% late '90s economic growth, is the future of the Francophone world. French-speaking Africa represents an area larger than the United States. There are 18 African countries where French is the official language, one where it is one of two official languages, and then there are the three countries of the Maghreb, where, for solid political reasons, Arabic alone is the official language, but where French has a powerful presence. The total population in these countries is over 254,000,000 people. Other countries, like Egypt, have official ties to the Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie. In spite of the fact that only those who are literate actually communicate in French in most of francophone Africa, French is directly and indirectly the communication key to a quarter of a billion people in an enormous expanse of this great continent.