Lunch and Learn – Silent Presence: The French in New England

Virtual Presentation!

Jeanne Douillard, an independent scholar, has probed the history of the French in New England for over twenty-five years.  One question she has addressed is why the French have had such a silent presence in New England. Jeanne believes the past is important. To her way of thinking, history shapes people, shapes cultures. She believes, “We are the heirs of our ancestor’s journeys. Their experiences matter. We carry them with us even if their story is lost to us.”

In this virtual presentation Jeanne brings a unique, fresh look to the story of “un petit people.” It is an approach which combines history and story, attempting in its essence, to get at the heart of a people.

This virtual event is free and open to the public. Get tickets to receive the Zoom link.

Questions? Contact Jen Busa, Public Programs Coordinator at jbusa@connecticutmuseum.org.

About the speaker: Jeanne Douillard’s passion for the history of the French in the Americas led her to delve deeply into the quagmire of conflicting historiographies. English, French and American historians of the past offered up irreconcilable views of La Nouvelle France [New France] and its people. She was intrigued. Jeanne authored I Remember… Je Me Souviens… in 2016. Jeanne is also one of the major contributors to the book Building a Better Life: The French-Canadians in Western Massachusetts, published by the Republican newspaper in Springfield, MA. Jeane also contributed a narrative poem, “Not So Much the Same Place,” to Heliotrope: French Heritage Women Create, an anthology of women writers of French heritage.

To purchase Jeanne’s book, I Remember…Je Me Souviens..., email her directly: silentpresence1@gmail.com

To purchase Building a Better life The French-Canadians in Western Massachusetts click here

To purchase Heliotrope: French Heritage Women Create click here