A little bit of History of New England, from my own perspective.

Bonjour,

I am going to write  a little bit about History in New England from my perspective. Most of you know much more than I do, so I was thinking I should write about the things that appeal to me in the history of this area.

In the XVIIth century, the area was colonized. At the end of the XVIIIth century, the American Revolution occured, 10 years before the French Revolution  which was in 1789. Both countries has the same kind of ideas and spirit, which we call in French :"le siecle des lumieres".

What really appealed to me in the history of the XIXth century, is the wave of Irish immigration, that changed the culture in New England. I am amazed at how the Irish identity is still so strong.

Obviously, I should not forget the Industrial Revolution which also happened on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean during the XIXth century.

Then in the XXst century, the need for workers induced massive waves of immigration, specially the Italians.
Like the Irish, they have influenced the culture dramatically.

Obviously, my summary is extremely simplified and I hope no historical specialist will read these lines.

The climate in New England appealed to me because it is so different that France : The climate in New England can be rough. The 4 seasons are very different, each with it's own beauties and unique opportunities for fun. We are never bored !!! But I can imagine how difficult it was for the Colonists and the Native Americans to live in these frigid cold winters and these humid, hot, mosquito infested summers. Additionally, there was not a large population, so even if you were wealthy, you had to be very savvy, unlike France at the same period.

The practical, everyday life in country side had a huge influence on the artistic expression of New England. This is what I would call Folk Art. Fortunately for me, this is exactly where my artistic inspiration come from. I am not an abstract person. I am practical and I find my artistic inspirations in the necessities of life.

Merci et a bientot

September 14th : This has been updated with the help of my friend Mary who edits my texts after translation from French to English. Some texts have not been edited by her so don't blame her for my mistakes !!!