What do you think?
Rate this book
Legacy: How French Canadians Shaped North America
A ground-breaking work of nation building, this unique biographical book by many of English and French Canada's best-known writers and thinkers -- Margaret Atwood, Lucien Bouchard, Dr. Samantha Nutt, Ken Dryden, etc. -- tells the story of the extraordinary legacy of the French contribution to our very way of life.
In 1913, schoolgirls found a heavy metal plaque peeking out of the soil in St-Pierre, South Dakota. On it they saw engraved characters and signs they could not decipher. They took the plaque back home, and somehow, it found its way into the hands of a local historian who immediately realized the importance of the artifact.
One hundred and seventy years earlier, French-Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye had written about his travels to the west in search of the elusive "Western Sea." In his journal, he "I placed upon a hillock near the fort a lead plaque with the arms and inscription of the King." That was the plaque found by the children, the proof that de la Vérendrye was the first white man to set eyes on the Rockies, 60 years before Lewis and Clark's famous expedition.
Traces of the French-Canadians' contribution to North American history can be found in all regions of the continent. More often than not, we are unaware of or indifferent towards these signs. Yet the descendants of the French travelled farther than one would expect, exploring the land and a wide variety of fields of human activity (science, arts, economy, etc.). Through their audacity, their courage and their determination, they shaped Canada -- and, to a smaller but still significant extent -- the United States.
In a unique partnership with Les Éditions La Presse, Legacy is the story of a dozen French-Canadian pioneers, from the era of Nouvelle-France up to the 20th century. This ambitious book project will take the form of a series of biographical essays written by Canadian personalities and leading authors. Through the lives of these extraordinary persons, the authors will reflect on the French-Canadian legacy. They are all convinced that Canada would not be what it is today were it not for these French-speaking Canadians who explored the land, hung on to their culture while respecting that of others, longed for peace, fought with courage, and stood up for a brand of humanism that helped shape the country we live in today.
In 1913, schoolgirls found a heavy metal plaque peeking out of the soil in St-Pierre, South Dakota. On it they saw engraved characters and signs they could not decipher. They took the plaque back home, and somehow, it found its way into the hands of a local historian who immediately realized the importance of the artifact.
One hundred and seventy years earlier, French-Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye had written about his travels to the west in search of the elusive "Western Sea." In his journal, he "I placed upon a hillock near the fort a lead plaque with the arms and inscription of the King." That was the plaque found by the children, the proof that de la Vérendrye was the first white man to set eyes on the Rockies, 60 years before Lewis and Clark's famous expedition.
Traces of the French-Canadians' contribution to North American history can be found in all regions of the continent. More often than not, we are unaware of or indifferent towards these signs. Yet the descendants of the French travelled farther than one would expect, exploring the land and a wide variety of fields of human activity (science, arts, economy, etc.). Through their audacity, their courage and their determination, they shaped Canada -- and, to a smaller but still significant extent -- the United States.
In a unique partnership with Les Éditions La Presse, Legacy is the story of a dozen French-Canadian pioneers, from the era of Nouvelle-France up to the 20th century. This ambitious book project will take the form of a series of biographical essays written by Canadian personalities and leading authors. Through the lives of these extraordinary persons, the authors will reflect on the French-Canadian legacy. They are all convinced that Canada would not be what it is today were it not for these French-speaking Canadians who explored the land, hung on to their culture while respecting that of others, longed for peace, fought with courage, and stood up for a brand of humanism that helped shape the country we live in today.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 3, 2017
This work is aimed primarily at Canadians. It has much to offer those anglophone Canadians-whether English is their mother tongue or their adopted language-who still know too little about the debt they owe French Canadians.
Wait! Now before you decide to slam that door in my face or swipe past my review, give me a moment to share my reflections. This book is NOT a language debate, it is instead a series of essays that showcase the impacts of thirteen individuals-ten men and three women that have left their "legacy" as Frenchman and women in North America. These essays are written by recognized Québec and Canadian faces, such as Romeo Dallaire, Jean Charest, Ken Dryden, and Lucien Bouchard. If we can reflect for a moment that Canada has ten provinces and three territories, we can also understand that each has the power to determine the level of importance on what to put in their educational curriculums.
Take it from someone who spent the first year of a four year B.A in Canadian History repeating over and over again "Why didn’t I learn this in public school?" Now I teach History of Quebec and Canada and parents who grew up in that province(Québec) marvel that their children learn about the Acadiens, the War of 1812, or the culture/organization and beliefs of Canada 's indigenous people pre European contact. Subjects that they were never informed about as students themselves.
Now while I would disagree that Therese Casgrain, Jacques Plante or Henri Bourassa are overlooked inside Quebec, I would suggest that the further away from the province someone ventures, other narratives are more prominent. George Etienne Cartier and Georges Vanier were among my favorites.
A good introduction to our national history!
Wait! Now before you decide to slam that door in my face or swipe past my review, give me a moment to share my reflections. This book is NOT a language debate, it is instead a series of essays that showcase the impacts of thirteen individuals-ten men and three women that have left their "legacy" as Frenchman and women in North America. These essays are written by recognized Québec and Canadian faces, such as Romeo Dallaire, Jean Charest, Ken Dryden, and Lucien Bouchard. If we can reflect for a moment that Canada has ten provinces and three territories, we can also understand that each has the power to determine the level of importance on what to put in their educational curriculums.
Take it from someone who spent the first year of a four year B.A in Canadian History repeating over and over again "Why didn’t I learn this in public school?" Now I teach History of Quebec and Canada and parents who grew up in that province(Québec) marvel that their children learn about the Acadiens, the War of 1812, or the culture/organization and beliefs of Canada 's indigenous people pre European contact. Subjects that they were never informed about as students themselves.
Now while I would disagree that Therese Casgrain, Jacques Plante or Henri Bourassa are overlooked inside Quebec, I would suggest that the further away from the province someone ventures, other narratives are more prominent. George Etienne Cartier and Georges Vanier were among my favorites.
A good introduction to our national history!
March 1, 2018
Some of the essays were very well done, others were a little dry. Fun combination of subjects. I learned a lot.
November 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this book - there are some exceptional Canadians in these pages that more people should know about. I found it only slightly transparent that all of the people who were political in any way were obvious federalists - but the book was overall about unity so I guess that was their intention I read this as part of my #canada150 reading project.
March 7, 2020
A rather enlightening read on French Canadian influence on Canadian and American history.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews