“Succeeds on many levels—as a reference to past work, as a presentation of exciting new work in archaeology, and as a bridge between disciplines. Above all, the authors remind us that French, Native, and African peoples persisted.”—Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology
 
"This book has essentially created a new field of study with a surprising range of insights on the ethnicity, class, gender, and foodways of French speakers of European and African descent adapting to life under British, Spanish, or American political regimes."--Gregory A. Waselkov, author of A Conquering Spirit: Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813-1814

"Significant and intriguing. Strengthens the view that French colonists and their descendants are an important part of American heritage and that the worlds they created are significant to our understanding of modern life."--John A. Walthall, editor of French Colonial Archaeology: The Illinois Country and the Western Great Lakes


Correcting the notion that French influence in the Americas was confined mostly to Québec and New Orleans, this collection reveals a wide range of vibrant French-speaking communities both during and long after the end of French colonial rule. This volume highlights the complexity of Francophone societies, the persistence of their cultural traditions, and the innovative means they employed to cope with the cultural and environmental demands of living in the New World.



Analyzing artifacts including clay pipes, colonoware, and food remains alongside a rich body of historical records, contributors focus on how French descendants impacted North America, the Caribbean, and South America even after 1763. Taken together, the essays argue that communities do not need to be located in French colonies or contain French artifacts to be considered Francophone, and they show that many Francophone groups were composed of a mix of ethnic French, Métis, Native Americans, and African Americans. The contributors emphasize the important roles that French colonists and their descendants have played in New World histories.

Elizabeth M. Scott, former associate professor of anthropology at Illinois State University, is the editor of Those of Little Note: Gender, Race, and Class in Historical Archaeology.
 
Contributors: Réginald Auger | Maureen Costura | Meredith Hardy | Kenneth G. Kelly | Antoine Loyer Rousselle | Kevin MacDonald | Rob Mann | Terrance J. Martin | David W. Morgan | Michael S. Nassaney | Steven R. Pendery | Elizabeth M. Scott | Erin N. Whitson

Sample Chapter(s):

Excerpt

Table of Contents

Succeeds on many levels--as a reference to past work, as a presentation of exciting new work in archaeology, and as a bridge between disciplines. Above all, the authors remind us that French, Native, and African peoples persisted.
--Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology

Truly highlights the diversity of the lived experiences of those inhabiting French colonial spaces, including those who did not occupy positions of power. . . . This book demonstrates that even though some of French settlement types were ephemeral, their presence has long-lasting consequences on today’s New World societies.
--Historical Archaeology

Teases out important questions about identity in colonial and postcolonial contexts.
--American Antiquity