French-American Heritage Month

July is French-American Heritage Month! It celebrates the contributions and influence of French immigrants in the United States. France supported us during the American Revolution, so it makes sense for French-American heritage to be celebrated in July.

St. Louis and the Metro-East have a lot of French heritage. The first Europeans in Illinois were French fur traders, and their first permanent settlement was in Cahokia in 1699. The British took control over Illinois in 1763 after winning the French and Indian War (the Seven Years’ War). St. Louis was founded as a French fur trading post in 1764, although it was transferred to the Spanish in 1770 (France later signed a treaty to reclaim it) and sold to the United States in 1803.

France had been in possession of a significant portion of North America, which they sold to the new United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. That territory included what we know today as Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and significant portions of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Minnesota.

St. Louis still displays its French heritage with fleur-de-lis designs. Multiple newspapers in the St. Louis metro area were printed in French even in the mid to late 1800s, but even more were published across the country until fairly recently.

French immigrants still move to the United States, and French culture continues to influence our fashion, food, and politics.

Take a look below to see some book recommendations and additional resources!