THE PENNSYLVANIA FRENCH IN THE 1790'S: THE STORY OF THEIR SURVIVA

The present study traces the reasons why the majority of the French immigrants who came to Pennsylvania in the 1790's did not remain in America. It shows that because of the different historical conditions in the two societies, the French were subjected to forces and pressures of a political, economic, social and cultural nature, over which they had no control.;Most of the arrivals--San Domingan refugees and French emigres--were subjected to severe frustrations with respect to both their homeland and their adoptive country. Besides the anguish experienced at home during their escape, many suffered separation from friends and family, and thus loss of social and material support, as well as loss of status and respect. Instead of finding a refuge where they could nurse their battered lives, they were caught up in the political turmoil of the American scene. Their situation was further aggravated by the international struggle between France and England, as well as by the intransigeance of French republican politics in America and the federalist administration's reactions to it. Thus, the French immigrants' failure to be integrated into American society resulted largely from the indifferent reception they were accorded in all areas of American life.;Compelled by sheer necessity and the will to outlive these troubled times, the French population engaged in a great variety of activities and asserted its presence in practically every field of human endeavor. In Philadelphia, in particular, a French atmosphere reigned during those last years of the eighteenth century, created by the presence of thousands of French-speaking people and by the availability of French products and entertainments. Significantly, a local French press was established, which published not only books, but also newspapers and pamphlets. Furthermore, the presence of such a large circle of French immigrants motivated American and refugee booksellers to import an increasing number of French-language books, as well as French works in English translation.;Such important cultural contributions were to last only briefly. In the end, as the efforts and activities of the French immigrants remained essentially unappreciated by Americans, and as most of the groups eventually returned to their homeland, the French cultural legacy to Pennsylvania passed largely into oblivion.