[NZerFromHK]

I understand French immigration to the US were small, but how many were indirect descendents from Quebecois or Maritime French-Canadians that initially moved to New England in the 19th century? In addition, there were French Creoles in New Orleans and Acadians in rural Louisiana. So there are still a number of French descents living in the US. How do they compare with German migrants' descendents in numbers?

[ishabibble]

Interesting discussion here. I can tell you that there are a great many French-Canadians throughout Maine, and also many in Rhode Island. They mainly drifted down during the Depression Era to work in the huge factories that were built in the Blackstone Valley at the start of the Industrial Revolution. I have been told that their Catholicism had a lot to do with them leaving the area of Canada most RIer's claim as the old country.


One of the Depression French Canucks is the man who founded the CVS chain. Mostly, the French Canadians in RI stick close together, and they have a reputation as hard workers.

[swampmonster]

You leave out the French Calvanists who settled in the Americas before most of the Germans got here. The Carolinas were full of them and there descendants are still there. They settled from the Jacksonville Florida area all the way up to New England. There were also French colonies all up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and most of their descendants fused into the population of America.

The German settlers had to be within the top five in numbers though.

[RobbyS]

Probably 40% of all Americans have some recent German ancestery. On my father's side I am rather typical, being German-Scots-Irish-English. There was heavy German immigration from 1700 to about 1900. In 1900 there were more German-speakers in San Antonio, TX, than either English- or Spanish-speakers. Many Germans colonies in Texas.