Resources at Middlebury College

Francophone Vermont

There are many Francophone activities in Vermont:

  • Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region is a local organization that celebrates the French history and culture of the region by offering its many members classes, events, and access to resources. 
  • Winooski celebrates French Heritage Day in July, with Franco-American music, French Canadian fiddling,  French response songs, step-dancing, clogging, reenactors, French food, a fencing demonstration, the Bastille Day Waiters’ Race, narrated English and French historical walking tours, and more.
  • Va-et-Vient, a local Francophone music group, often performs in the area.
  • Chimney Point State Historic Site has a museum of Native American and French heritage.

Historical Facts

  • Samuel de Champlain discovered Lake Champlain in 1609.
  • In 1666, Pierre de Saint-Paul, Sieur de La Motte established Fort Sainte-Anne, a settlement on Isle La Motte.
  • In 1755, the French constructed Fort Carillon on the Vermont/New York border.
  • The city of Vergennes is named after the Comte de Vergennes, who negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War.
  • The nineteenth century saw a large influx of French Canadians coming to work in Vermont factories and mills, and many of their descendants live in Vermont today.
  • A podcast dedicated to the history and culture of the Franco-Americans and the Francophonie of New England, by alumna Julie Rhinelander and produced in conjunction with the University of Southern Maine.