Manchester, NH – On a rocky point high above the St. Lawrence River, French explorer Samuel Champlain founded the first permanent French settlement in North America on July 3, 1608. The Algonquin called it Québec, or "where the river narrows,". In 2008, Quebec City, Canada celebrates the 400th anniversary of Champlain's feat.
Many thousands of immigrants of French heritage from Quebec found new lives in Manchester, New Hampshire, particularly during the era of industrialization from the mid-19th Century into the early 20th Century. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Quebec, UNH Manchester, the Millyard Museum and The Majestic Theatre have partnered to offer a series of community events.
Robert B. Perreault, instructor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at Saint Anselm College, said "The attention to and enthusiasm for all things French that the 400th anniversary of Québec City in 2008 is generating throughout North America offers Manchester's Franco-American community a unique opportunity to highlight its own history as well as its contributions toward making New Hampshire's Queen City a colorful patchwork of cultures and languages."
Thursday, September 25, 6:30– 8:00 PM
Taste of the Old Country in the New: The Franco-Americans of Manchester
Manchester is one example of the many industrial centers that attracted immigrants from Quebec in numbers large enough to warrant the creation and maintenance of an infrastructure of religious, educational, social, cultural, and commercial institutions that helped preserve this community's language and traditions. Discuss life in one of America's major Franco-American communities. To be held at UNH Manchester, 400 Commercial Street, in the third floor auditorium. Presented by Robert Perreault, Faculty, Modern Languages & Literature, Saint Anselm College. Funding Provided by the New Hampshire Humanities Council (free event)
Sunday, September 28, 1:30– 3:30 PM
Walking tour of St. Augustin Cemetery
Presented by the Manchester Historic Association
$10 general public, $5 members of the Manchester Historic Association
This walking tour, led by local historians Richard Duckoff and John Jordan, will explore the lives and times of Manchester's earliest French Canadian immigrants, many of whom were parishioners of St. Augustin church, the first Franco-American parish in the city. The tour will include the stories of leading figures in Manchester's Franco-American community, as well as those of ordinary folk. Pre-registration is required by calling (603) 622-7531.
Sunday, October 5, 2:00 PM
La Bonne Chanson: A Celebration of Franco-American Music
Presented by The Majestic Theatre in partnership with the Manchester Historic Association
$20 general public, $15 members of the Manchester Historic Association
This concert will showcase talented performers from The Majestic Theatre in a celebration of the popular music of the older generation of French-Canadians and Franco-Americans. Included will be delightful selection of songs sung in English – melodic, romantic, playful, and humorous. The concert will take place at the Millyard Museum at 200 Bedford Street in Manchester, NH. Light refreshments will be served.
Tuesday, October 7, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Pardon My French! - A play with music by Susan Poulin & Gordon Carlisle
In the land of hyphenated identity, Susan Poulin sets out on the sometimes humorous, sometimes treacherous path to reconnect with her Franco-American heritage. Her rollercoaster ride of self-discovery leads her to some surprising places. From the origins of Franco-American Spaghetti to the textile mills of Skowhegan, from logging camps on the Canadian border to being hypnotized to find the French in her head, Susan is determined to reclaim her first language and in the process reclaims a whole lot more. She's doing the assimilation samba and it's not as easy as it looks. The play is performed in English with some French references. To be held at UNH Manchester, 400 Commercial Street, in the third floor auditorium. Funding provided by the Smyth Foundation (free event)
Saturday, October 11, 9:00 AM – 12: 30 PM
"Miles of Mills" Walk
Presented by the Manchester Historic Association
$20 general public, $15 members of the Manchester Historic Association
Walk the entire Amoskeag Manufacturing Company millyard with local historian Robert Perreault and Aurore Eaton, Interim Executive Director of the Manchester Historic Association. This program will honor the people who have lived and worked along the banks of the Merrimack River in Manchester. These include the Penacook Indians who fished at Amoskeag Falls, the early European settlers, and the many thousand of mill workers who toiled in the mile of brick factories along the river. This event will also celebrate Quebec 400 by honoring the Franco-Americans of Manchester, who made up a large proportion of the workers in the Millyard during the industrial era. Lunch will be provided at the Millyard Museum at the end of the walk. Pre-registration is required by calling (603) 622-7531.
Saturday, October 18, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
"Amoskeag" 30th Anniversary Celebration
Included with regular admission to the Millyard Museum
This all-day series of activities will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the ground-breaking book "Amoskeag – Life and Work in an American Factory City" by Tamara Hareven and Randolph Langenbach. Included will be dramatic readings from "Amoskeag," a tour of the Millyard Museum including the exhibit "Nous sommes ici! We are here! A Celebration of Manchester's Franco-American Heritage," and an interview with Robert B. Perreault, who worked on the project team for the "Amoskeag" book.
Thursday, October 23, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
French-Canadian Music and its Cross-Cultures
Learn more about the migration of French-Canadians and the evolution of their traditional music, its arrival in North America from France, its crossing with Indian culture during the evangelization of Acadia and Quebec, its growth alongside English culture after British colonization and its expansion from Acadia to Louisiana. Samples of traditional songs accompany the discussion. To be held at UNH Manchester, 400 Commercial Street, in the third floor auditorium. Presented by Lucie Therrien, writer and performer from Portsmouth, NH. Funding Provided by the New Hampshire Humanities Council (free event)
Saturday, November 8 – 10:30 AM
Book Discussion: "Amoskeag – Life and Work in an American Factory City"
by Tamara Hareven and Randolph Langenbach
FREE Admission
This book, published in 1978, speaks eloquently about the lives and times of Manchester's industrial workforce in the early 20th century. Participants are encouraged to read "Amoskeag" ahead of time, and to share their thoughts with the group. The discussion will be led by Robert B. Perreault, who conducted interviews of many former Amoskeag Manufacturing Company workers for this powerful book of oral histories. Pre-registration is required by calling (603) 622-7531.
Please visit www.unhm.unh.edu or www.manchesterhistoric.org for more information about upcoming events.
UNH Manchester, the university's urban campus, brings undergraduate and graduate programs to people who live and work in New Hampshire. Please visit us on the web at www.unhm.unh.edu
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