French language in Minnesota

The history of the French language in Minnesota is closely linked with that of Canadian settlers, such as explorer Louis Hennepin and trapper Pierre Parrant, who contributed very early on to its use in the area.

As early as the mid-17th century, evidence shows the presence of French expeditions, settlements and villages in the region, in particular thanks to Frenchmen Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers, who likely reached Minnesota in 1654 after exploring Wisconsin.

[1] A few years later, explorer Cavelier de la Salle charted the Mississippi, ending his voyage in the neighboring state of North Dakota.

He gave this region the nickname of L'étoile du Nord (Star of the North), which eventually became the motto of the State of Minnesota.

[2] The exploration of the northern territories and areas surrounding the Great Lake, including Minnesota, was encouraged by Frontenac, the Governor of New France.

His father, Jean Bonga, had been born in the West Indies and was brought to Michilimackinac in the Great Lakes by Captain Daniel Robertson who was the post’s first British commander following the fall of the French in North America in 1763.

He designed many mansions and houses throughout Minnesota and about two dozen parish churches for Catholic and Protestant congregations in the upper Midwest, including: In 1906, Masqueray founded his atelier in St Paul, which continued his Beaux Arts method of architectural training.

[1] Native American reservations in Minnesota have or had French names, reminiscent of earlier fur trade days with Montréal-based Northwest Company.

In present-day Minnesota, French is maintained alive through bilingual education options and French-language classes in universities and schools.