On April 30th, 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt opened New York’s World’s Fair with an address in which he praised the commercial festival as a “symbol of peace.” An idea dreamed up at the height of the depression, the theme of the Fair was “The World of Tomorrow.” Its opening slogan was an inspiring “Dawn of New Day.” [Read more…] about Arthur Szyk: The Artist As Soldier
French History
Lafayette’s 1824-25 Farewell Tour Commemoration (A Virtual Talk)
In 1824, the French aristocrat Lafayette (Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette), who had played a key role in securing victory over the British during the American Revolution, was invited by President James Monroe to visit the United States, then about to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Upon his arrival on Staten Island, the general was greeted with open arms. He had been a favorite of General Washington, who had acted as a surrogate father to the young Lafayette.
As an advocate for democracy in both the American colonies and in France, and a proponent of abolition, the Frenchman was warmly welcomed on a thirteen-month tour of the United States. His visit spanned a highly controversial 1824 presidential election season in which the House of Representatives selected John Quincy Adams over the highest vote-getter, Andrew Jackson. Lafayette has been seen by historians as a uniting force, whose presence served to remind Americans of their mutual bonds. [Read more…] about Lafayette’s 1824-25 Farewell Tour Commemoration (A Virtual Talk)
Engineering Theatre: The Brunel Legacy in London & New York
For a long time Rotherhithe was London’s natural port, gaining its name from the Anglo-Saxon term for “landing-place for cattle.” There were shipyards in the area from Elizabethan times until the early twentieth century, and working docks until the 1970s. [Read more…] about Engineering Theatre: The Brunel Legacy in London & New York
Salons: American Rebels, French Etiquette and Lesbian History
When Benjamin Franklin traveled to Paris in 1776 seeking support for the Revolution, the old charmer became a popular guest at the city’s glittering salons. His successor Thomas Jefferson continued his PR work and established contacts with the city’s most prominent salonnières. Thomas Paine too was a visitor of various salons. Thanks to their socio-diplomatic involvement, the American Revolution became a central topic of discussion at such gatherings. [Read more…] about Salons: American Rebels, French Etiquette and Lesbian History
Apaches in Paris and New York
In 1912, investigative journalist Alfred Henry Lewis published The Apaches of New York, an anecdotal narrative of notorious gangs in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
What strikes here is the use of the word “apache” in the sense of urban gangster. The term was re-imported from French slang in reference to thugs that roamed the eastern districts (“faubourgs”) of Paris prior to the First World War. [Read more…] about Apaches in Paris and New York
Revolutionary War Farmhouse Will Be Preserved
During the American Revolution (from July 6 until August 18, 1781), the Odell House in the present Westchester County hamlet of Hartsdale served as the headquarters of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien d e Vimeur (comte de Rochambeau).
Nearby fields and hills in the current Town of Greenburgh accommodated approximately 6,000 soldiers in the French expeditionary forces under his command. [Read more…] about Revolutionary War Farmhouse Will Be Preserved
French Heritage Day At Old Fort Niagara
Old Fort Niagara has announced French Heritage Day, featuring living history programs on the French influences on the Niagara region on Saturday, November 9th.
Demonstrations of life as a soldier, games, cooking, trading, music, muskets and artillery will occupy the French Castle and fort grounds from 10 am to 4 pm. [Read more…] about French Heritage Day At Old Fort Niagara
Je me souviens: Cohoes’s Franco-American Heritage Event
On June 24, 2018, faculty and students from Siena College and their partners from the Spindle City Historic Society are set to host an event to preserve and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Franco-Americans in Upstate New York.
Like many upstate communities, Cohoes drew French Canadians in search of financial security. Initially some 20 families made the city their home in the 1830s. By 1881 however, Cohoes was the adopted home of over 6,000 Québécois, a number that comprised over a third of the city’s population.
[Read more…] about Je me souviens: Cohoes’s Franco-American Heritage Event