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On this page you'll find all of our stories on the city of Detroit.Suggest a story here and follow our podcast here.

Why is Detroit lacking in French influence?

Andrew Jameson
/
wikipedia.org
Hurlbut Memorial Gate Detroit MI

A few centuries ago it was not uncommon to hear Detroit referred to as "The Paris of the Midwest."

Just look at the history of Detroit and you can see that there are good reasons to link Detroit and France. The city’s early settlers were, by and large, French and French Canadian. But unlike, say, Quebec, Montreal, or New Orleans, there is no special "French feel" to Detroit beyond some French street names.

We wondered why Detroit's modern identity is so lacking in that French influence. For some insights, we turned to GuillaumeTeasdale, a history instructor at the University of Windsor.

Listen to the full interview above.

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