A few weeks ago I decided to order one of those DNA test kits just for kicks. Now, about a month and $60 later, I have my results!
Well, I guess it's worth something to have it scientifically confirmed but when you get to the core of it...there's nothing here I didn't already know. I guess the only surprise is the lack of American Indian DNA. I could have swore my grandmother said one time years ago that there was Indian blood in our history. Ah well, I guess I'm exactly what I thought...about 3/4 French and 1/4 Polish.
Here's a little history the site had on my French-Canadian ancestry:
1700–1750
Saint Lawrence River French Settlers
Lonely Settlers in New France
The first “French Canadians” were fur traders (coureur des bois), wealthy landowners, and tenant farmers. Life in New France was difficult due to the harsh climate and political instability. Near-constant warfare between France and Britain resulted in shifting land ownership and religious control. The population grew slowly. By 1750, less than 100,000 settlers were in the area, most living in the St. Lawrence Valley. Although few in numbers, the stalwart colonizers continued to build trading posts, improve ports and watch as trade and fishing flourished.
1750–1800
Saint Lawrence River French Settlers
New France Is Divided
The conflict between Britain and France peaked with the rise of the French and Indian War in the American colonies. As the victor, Britain took over France’s Canadian territory and instituted new rule. This prompted some French Canadians to flee to the United States, particularly after the American Revolution. For those who stayed in Canada, life changed drastically when Great Britain divided the land into two regions: Upper Canada, which became home to British Loyalists fleeing the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War; and Lower Canada (Québec), which became the center of French-Canadian culture and whose inhabitants developed a contentious relationship with incoming British settlers.
1800–1850
Saint Lawrence River French Settlers
Life as Second-Class Citizens
By the 1830s, most of Montreal’s population was of British origin. This posed a problem for many French Canadians, who became subject to the decisions of the English-speaking majority. Tension between British and French descendants erupted in a series of armed rebellions, which resulted in French Canadians becoming second-class citizens. To cope with their lower social status, they relied on strong ethnic bonds and their Catholic faith. Some young adults and families fled to the United States to escape British Canadian oppression, most settling in New England.
1850–1900
Saint Lawrence River French Settlers
The “Little Canadas” of New England
By the 1850s, the soil in the St. Lawrence region was exhausted, which sparked a widespread migration of people from Canada to New England. Most settled in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, creating ethnic neighborhoods called “Little Canadas” that emphasized family life and Catholic values. They were willing to work for less than Americans and found jobs in textile factories and the logging industry. New York also became a hub for French Canadians once the Montreal-New York railroad provided a direct link between the cities. Although economic prospects were better in their adopted land, French Canadians experienced discrimination for their Catholic faith and inability to speak English fluently.
1900–1950
Saint Lawrence River French Settlers
French Canadian Pride in the 20th Century
By 1900, most French Canadians had relatives living in the United States, particularly in industrialized cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, New York, and Boston. However, economic growth in Quebec finally enabled people to make a reliable living and began to halt the tide of immigration. After World War I, French Canadians living in Quebec began pushing for increased recognition of their French ancestry. The French language gained national prominence for the first time since British possession, and French Canadians began gaining more representatives in provincial governments.