Franco-American Civic League (Fall River, Mass.) records

ground Note: French-Canadians first emigrated to New England during and after the Insurrection of 1837-1838 in which agricultural workers rebelled from poor living conditions, low pay. The farmers suffered from illiteracy and limited access to proper education; received inadequate, if any, representation in government; and were generally disliked by the British-Canadians. Controlled by the British-Canadians, the government was unsympathetic and as a result, many French-Canadians fled to neighboring New England. By 1868, Fall River received its first wave of French-Canadian emigrants. Like those "patriotes" of the Insurrection, these French-Canadians had also experienced poor living conditions in Quebec. Both the government and the Catholic Church, however, criticized them for leaving their native Canada. The Church, for example, blamed the emigrants for "forsaking their beloved motherland in favor of New England, the home of the ancient Puritan and Protestant enemy" (Quintal, p. 149). French-Canadians were attracted to Fall River, known as the “Spindle City” because of its wealth of opportunities in textile mill work, masonry, carpentry, painting, fishing, and boat-building. Because of lax labor laws, children also found work, especially in the textile mills. Though they were paid very low wages, the extra earnings greatly helped their impoverished families who lived in unsanitary, cramped apartments. Nevertheless, due to a strong work ethic, religious faith, and devotion to education, these once very poor agricultural workers were able to donate their earnings, time, and energy to aid in the construction of impressive cathedrals and parochial schools. Franco-Americans at first chose not to assimilate; they preserved their ethnic identity, including their language. This preservation of the French-Canadian heritage was accomplished through the establishment of Catholic churches and parochial schools, the two most important aspects of FrancoAmerican life. In Fall River, as in most other Franco-American communities of New England, the Catholic Church penetrated the lives of all Franco-Americans by their involvement in parochial schools, civic organizations, newspaper publications, and hospitals. By 1900, over 400,000 Franco-American organizations had been established as this ethnic minority became the majority, not only in Fall River, but in many ethnic communities throughout New England. Additionally, the Notre Dame Church became known as the most powerful Franco-American Catholic church in the United States (The Notre Dame Church, built in 1874 on Eastern Avenue to help alleviate overcrowding in St. Anne's Church, burned in 1982). Education of Franco-American youths flourished and by the 1950s, it had reached its climax. Unfortunately, the 1970s and 1980s brought major changes to the Franco-American parochial school systems. Poor economies and subsequent cutbacks in education forced the closings and/or consolidations of parochial schools throughout New England. As of 1995, St. Anne's was the only parochial school left in Fall River (Quintal, p. 282).

The Franco-American Civic League was established in 1926 to promote the civic, social, educational, industrial, and professional advancement of American citizens of French descent in the Fall River area. The League has also been successful in bringing about a better understanding of and appreciation for Franco-Americans since they have contributed much to society. Other accomplishments of the League have included assisting the young, old, and ill; participating in the development educational, religious, and cultural programs and events; initiating scholarship programs; and promoting the perpetuation of French customs and the French language. With the support of a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, the historical collection was assembled by league members under the leadership of Lucienne Dionne, between 1986 and 1996, before it was transferred to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Reference: Claire Quintal, ed. Steeples and Smokestacks: a collection of essays on the Franco-American experience in New England. Worcester, MA: Assumption College, Institut francais, 1996.