French Americans
By: Abby Lippert
Introduction
Are you French? Well I am. When you think of France you might think of Paris. We'll there is a lot more to France then the Eiffel Tower. In this Smore you will learn about French immigration and the difficulty of moving to a different country. I hope you enjoys learning about France and it's people.
Why did they come to America?
A lot of the French coming to America were fur traders. They wanted to see if there was better fur here. The French were mostly catholic but some believed other things. They wanted to be able to chose what to believe. In America, we have a president. The people elect the president. But in France, it is a little different. Well, maybe not a little. They have a ruler. They didn't want someone to tell them what they should and shouldn't do. Like most other immigrants, they just came for a better life.
Were did the French settle?
The French settled mostly in the east side of the US and the south East part of Canada. There were very many of them, and they were spread in a lot of the states. But they settled together in groups so they could follow their culture and speak their language.
First years in America...
Their first years in America, (like most immigrants) was hard. They settled in the same places as other French people. One of these places was called New France. By the 18th century, the population of New France was 80,000 people. As you can imagine, that was a lot of people in one place. In 1754 French immigrants stopped coming because the US was at war with France. The government was edgy about the French settlers because they thought they might be spy's for the French. Finally the war ended but it was a wile before the French started to immigrate to America again.
Traditions
They have a holiday called All Saints Day. It is a day were they respect the dead and remember dead relatives and friends. They have another holiday called The Long Weekend Of Ascension. It is one of the first long weekends of spring. Some French also celebrate Christmas and Easter, but those holidays are not from France.
Fun Facts!
Here are some very interesting facts about France and it's people. Did you know that France is the most visited country in the world, averaging 83 million tourists ever year? Well, I guess The Eiffel Tower is amazing. France once controlled 8% of the worlds land. That would be like if the US controlled it and Mexico, and maybe some of Canada! France was originally a roman city called Lutetia. Do you know how many stop signs are in the US? Well, it's a lot. Do you know how many are in France? One. Only one stop sign in the city of France. I don't think they have roundabouts ether. Do you have a relative or friend that has past away? Well, in France you can marry a dead person. That is creepy. I mean how many people want to marry their dear departed uncle? How many people do you know that are depressed? Well, in France one out of five people are depressed. Maybe all them hit other cars because of the lack of stop signs! ;)
Madelines Recipe
Here is a recipe for Madeline cookies, original and chocolate.
Ingredients:
2eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
- Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
- Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
- Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
- Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
- Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
- Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.