In the late 1800s, French-American immigrants to the United States from Quebec were considered to be a threat because of their language and Roman Catholic beliefs. As the immigrants sought work in the textile industry of New England, they were constantly surrounded by rumors that they were part of a plot to annex parts of the United States to newly independent Quebec.
In his new book, A Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco Americans, David Vermette tells the stories of individuals and families who faced these challenges in the United States following the Civil War, which included a constant threat from the Ku Klux Klan and other groups that systematically terrorized the immigrants.
This forgotten piece of American history is particularly interesting in the context of the immigration debate that is taking place today. Vermette’s book explores a variety of topics and events that surrounded this period of time in America.
Read more:
France-Amérique: The French-Canadian Conspiracy to Invade the United States
Amazon.com: A Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans: Industrialization, Immigration, Religious Strife