By

David C. Ghogomu

Taylor Allderdice High School

Pittsburgh is a complex metropolitan entity of well over 2 million people in population, comprising several inner-city neighborhoods as well as various suburban surroundings. The inner city’s peak population of 750,000 in the 1950’s has dwindled to just 400,000 today. Called the "the Point" and the "Golden Triangle", the heart of the city is located at the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers, all of which are of importance to historical activities and the economic development of the city and its vicinity. (Graham, Toker, etc.)

Called the city of three rivers, Pittsburgh has had a rather rich and evolving history, some aspects of which have made the city world-renown. The smoky city, the steel city, the city with the highest per capita bridges in the world, etc., are names which clearly identify with, and reveal the past industrial activities in, Pittsburgh. In fact, two decades ago, a lot of science books in the Third World countries, including Cameroon where I grew up, still named Pittsburgh as the World’s Steel headquarters. Today Pittsburgh’s position as a producer of steel has plummeted. In most sources today, Pittsburgh is described mostly as having a service-based economy, notwitstanding a few surrounding steel, aluminum and other manufacturing complexes. Schools, hospitals, transportation, communication, electronics and computer services are some of the economic bases of this once-steel city.

Certainly, the city presents various interesting perspectives in the history classroom. Considered a frontier land, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh in particular, has a history tied to colonial activities, Indian-European wars, French-English wars and trading posts. For Pittsburgh, especially, the effect of the Three Rivers on its history cannot be underestimated. In fact, some of the major conflicts and skirmishes between the French and the English as well as between the French and the Indians were as a result of one group trying to control the waterway, along which were the trading posts. In fact, Louis Philippe, a French king long after the wars, notes the importance of Pittsburgh (Fort Duquesne) during those wars, in his diary. Incidentally, Mayor Tom Murphy recently suggested the rebuilding of the Fort , like it was then.

In his The French Invasion of Western Pennsylvania, Donald Kent notes that the French felt safely and comfortably ensconced in their colonies in Canada and Louisiana. They felt that these two colonies were secure and self-sustaining; however, they wanted these two separate entities linked together by the Ohio River. The English , already in parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio, were an obstacle to the French realizing their objective. The English saw the Ohio country as a natural area of expansion of their colonies, especially PA and VA, by trade and settlement. Consequently, both sides sent traders and diplomatic agents to the region, to compete for the furs and the goodwill of the Indian inhabitants.

The high value of the Ohio as a link between Canada and Louisiana was made even more visible to the French in 1739 when an expedition led by Le Baron de Longueuil traveled by way of Lake Chautauqua, Conewango Creek, the Allegheny River, and the Ohio, to join other forces from Michilimackinac, Detroit, the Illinois and Louisiana, in a campaign against the Chickasaw Indians in Northern Mississippi. According to Kent, the French saw this as a good proof, "...a striking demonstration of the importance of the Ohio to the French empire in North America. [It] also was an opportunity to acquire knowledge of the region for future operations there "(p.2).

When the French realized in 1753 that peaceful methods of trade and diplomacy were ineffectual in achieving their aims, they sent armed forces from Canada to occupy the Ohio country, and fortify their posts. This was , in turn, seen by the English as a direct threat to their own security and expansion ambitions , "an invasion of Pennsylvania in terms of the boundaries assigned in her Charter and also in terms of her present-day boundaries" (p.1). From this point on, everything is history involving the French in PA as we know it today. It is the history that has littered Pennsylvania with French words and names, starting from the North with Fort Presque Isle, and down to the South with Fort Duquesne. As much as the ensuing activities between the French, English and Indians are important to the history class as much as they are, coupled with words and names, important to the French class, within a curriculum framework.

Every curious person with the knowledge of French language starts to wonder about French involvement in Pittsburgh and the surroundings, given the French-related names of some counties, cities, streets, and some important structures. At least for me, this was an attention-getter when I first arrived in the city and had to cross Bouquet Street to get into Forbes Quadrangle at the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland. Living in Pittsburgh since 1981, I have discovered more French-related names of streets and places. Besides Bouquet, there is a Joncaire Street and Parking Garage in Oakland. We not only have Duquesne University, but also the Duquesne Incline and the city of Duquesne. Many cities, towns and townships around Pittsburgh have French city names such as Paris and North Versailles; others have names with French derivatives such as Chaleroi, Marchand, Dormont, Eau Claire, Bellefonte, Latrobe, and Montour. Some towns and cities are named after important French politicians or military leaders in the campaign to make Pennsylvania a French post many years ago: Fayette, Jumonville, Moraine (also written as Marin or Morang). In some cases, the French word "-ville" is a suffix to the name of cities : Monroeville, Huntsville, Titusville, Curtisville, Conellesville, etc. There are many more names on the list and I believe that there are still many more to be discovered with these suffix.

That these indicators of Previous French activities or involvement in Pittsburgh are so obvious and visible is reason either to provide an explanation for learning institutions to use, or to arouse the curiosity of children and adults in Pittsburgh, to connect to the past which is part of their present here. This would not only be a logical thing to do , but actually a necessary thing to do.

It ought to be a source of pride for people living in a city, and especially those born in that city, to be well acquainted with the history of that city . In situations where there are landmarks, inhabitants of the area ought to take pride in being able to provide information about such. In Pittsburgh, however, it seems that , past Carnegie, Frick, Mellon, Schenley, and may be Duquesne--whose legacies are established in the city and vicinity, and about whom some students can make one statement--a larger percentage of students and inhabitants of the city know little or nothing about other related historical personalities.

In high schools, where USA history is taught, the state history ought also be emphasized so that the students can be more in touch with their past and what represents that past. It is apparent that the teaching of PA history by itself is mostly limited to elementary and middle schools, where the material provided to the students is not only not enough, but sometimes also erroneous. Recently, I have been miffed at the suggested pronunciation of certain French words in one of the texts used in the elementary schools.

Especially within the Pittsburgh Public Schools, there is reason to have a PA history , and especially one with a French accent. The district offers very strong and respectable language programs in French, Spanish, German and Italian. In some elementary schools, exploratory programs prepare students in French conversations at very high level of proficiency. Some elementary and middle schools are "magnet" schools which use immersion methods to teach culture, language , but no related history. The rigorous nature and high level of the French programs and curricula at the high schools in the school district are obvious in the international baccalaureate program at Schenley High School and the Advanced Placement Program at Taylor Allderdice High.

Two ironic situations are obvious at this point. First of all, it seems that the teaching of the history of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania is not a priority for most schools. While in the high school PA history is usually not taught independent of US Government , the elementary and middle school students do not remember much by the time they get to high school. Secondly, and especially in regard to the French connection--it is rather ironic that, in spite of all the opportunities offered to learn French language, culture and history, there is hardly any provision for the incorporation of Pittsburgh-related French history or French-related Pittsburgh history; nor is there a sitting curriculum , once used or still to be used.

It is apparent, therefore, that the high school curriculum ought to be refurbished to emphasize PA history and especially the interesting aspects of Pittsburgh history. Specifically, this curriculum will serve, independently, or as a complement , to emphasize the involvement of the French in the making of PA history , as well as examine the role of Pittsburgh in the making of Northern American French territory.

This action is especially appropriate for Taylor Allderdice High School, a school which receives and graduates the highest number of proficient French students within the school district. Allderdice receives most of the students from Frick International Studies Middle School (even though the students are expected to go to Schenley) and Sterett Classical Middle School, both of which are language magnets. A Pittsburgh history emphasizing French aspects, and in French would widen their horizon.

Above all, the inception of such a program would not only be a means of meeting the Pittsburgh Public Schools Foreign language standards in communicating proficiently in the target language, but actually a try to achieve beyond that. A French class in which history lessons are taught in French (this would depend on the class type and level) and students do some work including dramatization in French most likely meets these standards.

The first objective of the curriculum is to expose students in the French classroom to the French -related aspect of Pennsylvania history about which they may know very little or nothing at all. For every student including those who might have had some information in middle school, the curriculum will be more in depth.

Through the introduction of PA French history, I also hope to improve the proficiency level of the students involved, which is a rubric in the foreign language standards. Though most of the material is available in English, classes will be conducted in French, especially if the class is at least level three, or level two with students graduating from Frick or Sterett. Reading, discussing and writing in French will help in all aspects of language proficiency.

Whether in French or English, official and formal documents are not easily understood by today’s students. A lot of information on PA French history is in document form (letters, etc.). This would be a good time to introduce students to the reading of formal and official documents, especially in French.

The presentation of the French aspect of PA history in French is an integrated approach to learning which can only help the student feel more confident and accomplished , and make him or her more likely to look at other problems in an integrated manner.

The curriculum is designed to be used in a high school in classes which have students with at least two years of French (for classes in which discussion will be carried out in French). At Taylor Allderdice High School, French 2 students in the gifted program and any level and category above this will be included. Teachers can modify it to use in other situations including elementary and middle schools. Teaching and learning can be done in English if French language becomes a retarding factor.

Two weeks in the third quarter will be used for this curriculum. The third quarter is favorable because the students will have been more attuned to French by now. It is also the quarter in which apathy has not yet set in and students are still excited with new ideas. If these ten lessons of 41 minutes each are not sufficient, the curriculum contents, methodology and time will all be reassessed.

In teaching this curriculum, several basic teaching techniques will be used. Sometimes one strategy by itself will be enough, but sometimes a combination of techniques will be needed.

The main method for teaching and learning will entail an individual daily readiness approach. Each day teacher will give out a vocabulary sheet pertaining to that night’s reading. Reading may be in French or English, but vocabulary always have words in both languages so as to facilitate the discussion for the following day. A work sheet will ask questions in French about the major events and characters in the reading. If students take time to complete this work sheet, it will greatly facilitate the discussion of the topic, since they will be then informed about the issues.

Ask-the-Larousse (the-encyclopedia, or the net) is a method which can be used by itself for obtaining information and getting ready, or used complementarily with the daily readiness method. Students will be given terms, names of people, places, and events. They will be asked to use the Petite Larousse, the encyclopedia and even the net and websites to inform themselves and answer specific questions. They will , of course, be warned about not accepting everything gotten from websites, unless they are corroborated by other sources.

Dramatization may also be an effective way for the students to learn about the important personalities as well as to improve their language proficiency. Students will be assigned individual French personalities like Duquesne, Fayette, Joncaire, Jumon, Bouquet, etc., and will be asked to memorize in French the basic but important information about the character. They can either act out this character in the first person (" I am......I did such and such, etc.) with costume if possible, or give a 5-minute presentation about the character in French, using original or commercial visual aids.

The difficulty in making a lesson plan for the curriculum arises from the fact that the documentation of dates, reasons and other activities related to the naming of most places are not available. One could follow the chronology of the French wars and in that order, bring in each important name mentioned along the way; however, that may give the false impression that those names were being given just as the wars were being fought. We could simply take out the long list of French-related names that is available and plan lessons based on the alphabetical order of the list, and then state under what circumstances ( if this can be determined) the specific word appears in the list. In some cases, it is actually possible to determine how and when the name of a place, street, etc., was issued, and this makes it easy. Arrangement of lessons by themes would be a good idea, but there are no meaningful themes--at least in my analysis--under which to design these lesson plans. As such, I have decided to have lesson plans with the following topics, each topic for each of the ten days:

1. The magnitude of French-related nomenclature of cities and towns in PA and places and streets in Pittsburgh (day one)
2. Determining the category of place and street names, and defining names (day two)
3. Evaluation of days one and two
4. In Search of the Makers of PA History: Celoron (day 4)
5. In Search of Makers of PA History: Marquis Duquesne, The Jumonville’s, Joncaire, and Coulon de Villiers (day 5)
6. In Search of Makers of PA History : The Irony of General Bouquet (day 6)
7. Other People in PA Names of Places: Dauphin county, Luzerne county, Wilks-Barre, Laporte, Madame Montour , Dubois (day 7)
8. Some Pittsburgh street and place names (day 8)
9. First Day of Preparation for Dramatization of Major , or Chosen Character day 9)
10. Rehearsal for Dramatization (day 10)
11. Dramatization of Important , or Chosen Characters (day 11)

The Magnitude of French-related Nomenclature of Places in PA, and Streets and Places in Pittsburgh (Day One)

Pennsylvania has many French-related names of cities, towns and other places, and Pittsburgh has an incredible list of streets, places and landmarks with French-related names. It is always going to be a difficult task to compile a complete or exhaustive list, because over the years , some names have varied while some have changed completely. Present-day North Versailles, for example, has at different times been called the Borough of Versailles and then Versailles Township. Former French names replaced by the British following their latter victories and settlement in PA will, of course, not be easy to find out. Below is a list of French-related names of places in Pennsylvania and Places, streets and landmarks in Pittsburgh today. I have used various sources, including a street map of Pittsburgh, the phone-book, Espenshade’s Pennsylvania Place Names, Kent’s The French Invasion of Western Pennsylvania, and some old PA Gazettes. According to Howry Espenshade’s Pennsylvania Place Names, these names are of various well known and unknown origins. The various obvious sources include the names of important French politicians , successful or brave military expeditioners and explorers during the French territorial claims and wars over Pennsylvania and the Ohio country. In addition, French towns and cities have also been the sources for some of the French-related PA place names.

Lesson Goals

This lesson is intended to make students conscientious of the fact that they are very likely to see a street or go by a place with a French-related name as they wake each day and go about doing their daily tasks in Pittsburgh. In addition, if they were travelling in the state, they would also go through some towns, cities and other places with French names, the names of some historically important French person, or even a common French noun or derived word. As students of French, therefore, they ought not only be intrigued by the preponderance of this situation, but also be interested in dealing with the historical as well as the linguistic implications of the situation.

Towns and Cities                                                        Pittsburgh Streets Pittsburgh Places

1. Avalon                                                                      1. Albion

2. Bellefonte                                                                  2. Arion

3. Bellevue                                                                    3. Beaufort

4. Belle Vernon                                                              4. Belle Air Avenue

5. Ben Avon                                                                  5. Belleaire Drive

6. Bentleyville                                                                 6. Belleau Drive

7. Blairsville                                                                    7. Bellevue

8. Bridgeville                                                                  8. Berger Street

9. Brookville                                                                  9. Bonair Av.

10. Brownsville                                                             10. Boquet Street

11. Bruin                                                                      11. Bouquet Street

12. Charleroi                                                                12. Cadet Avenue

13. Clarion                                                                  13. Calumet

14. Courdelsville                                                          14. Celoron

15. Curtisville                                                              15. Charlotte

16. Dauphin                                                                16. Chartiers

17. Delmont                                                                17. Chartiers Av.

18. Dormont                                                              18. St. Claire

19. Dubois                                                                 19. Clarion

20. Duquesne                                                              20. Cologne

21. Eau Claire                                                              21. Dunkirk

22. Fayette                                                                  22. Fort Duquesne Bld.

23. Finleyville                                                               23. Gerber

24. Herminie                                                                24. Grandevue

25. Huntsville                                                               25. Joncaire

26. Jeannette                                                              26. Jonqui

27. Jumonville                                                             27. Jumonville St.

28. Le Boeuf                                                              28. Le Clair Av.

29. Laporte                                                               29. Labelle St.

30. Leraysville                                                           30. Lafayette

31. Ligonier                                                              31. Larimer

32. Luzerne                                                              32. Larose

33. Marchand                                                          33. Louis St.

34. Meadville                                                          34. Macon Av.

35. Monroeville                                                      35. Marquis

36. Montour                                                            36. Milroy St.

37. North Versailles                                                 37. Montclair st.

38. Paris

39. Perrysville

40. Titusville

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, each student will be able to:

Measure or describe the magnitude of the French connections or "accent" in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas (in the past and present) by enumerating cities, towns, streets, institutions and other icons having names of French origin in basic French

Classify the names on the list above under one of these possible origins:

1. Important French People of the Past

2. French Cities

3. French words relating to geographic, physical and natural setting

4. Words derived by adding the French suffix "ville"

5. Words derived by combining two or three French words

6. Places named after French words qualifying the local setting

Use his/her basic knowledge of French to define, classify or decipher names of places and streets in Pittsburgh and PA (from the list above).

Procedure

Since this is the very first time for class to meet, teacher lecture is necessary, and should contain concise information on historical activities of the French ( as well as the British) in PA. May be, following a "Once upon a time..." or "Il y avait une fois" approach to relating the past history of PA and the intrusions by foreign powers the teacher will hold the attention of more students than if he or she simply started by the traditional way of presenting the history. In whichever interesting approach the teacher is presenting the history, he or she must make the students understand that there was a sort of a "scramble" for PA and the Ohio country between the French and the British who saw the Ohio and the Allegheny Rivers as being strategic for commerce, quick military operations and other reasons. The wars for territorial control between the British and French, with Indian allies who changed allegiance from time to time resulted in settlements by either European power at alternating periods, thus the British and French nomenclature of cities, towns, institutions, and streets in Pittsburgh and most of PA. Teacher should make this introductory lecture short , precise and interesting.

After the lecture (in French or English, depending on class type and level), teacher will then hand out the compiled list of Pittsburgh streets and places and other PA places which have French names that can be classified or categorized under one of several defined groups (already listed above under the lesson objectives section). Vocabulary list will also be given to facilitate next day’s lecture. Students will be asked to acquaint themselves with words.

Materials will include a list of Pennsylvania place names and a French vocabulary list.

Hands-On Activity

Students will at this time be asked to work on the classification list. Given the class level, a good percentage of the students will probably be able to do at least half of the work without having to spend time looking up words in class. Most French classrooms also have the Petite Larousse. Students can, therefore, start to "ask the Petite Larousse .." for meanings or definitions to some of the names and thereby facilitate their classification process. Students will most definitely take some of the work home to complete, and can continue to use the Petite Larousse at the library, at home, or the Internet for more information and definitions.

Lesson 2: Confirming the Classification of Names on the List, and Clarification of Definitions of Certain Words (Day 2)

Lesson Goals

After the introductory history and the word-classification practice, in the first lesson, it is now important to make students more acquainted with these words so that they become part of their vocabulary. In addition, it is also time to start interweaving these names and words with the history as already presented, albeit more details will be needed in latter lessons. Most of these names have clear and basic meanings, but as Espenshade demonstrates, some of them have to be etymologically dissected for the final meaning and classification. All, however, are French in one way or another.

Student Objectives

In addition to the two objectives the previous day, students will also be able to provide the English meanings of the words on the list.

Procedure

The first thing to do with the class is to go through he classification and categorization assigned the previous day. Teacher will read out the words on the list loudly while stating what class or category each falls under. This completed, the class will do more detail work on the classification, especially with words deemed "troublesome" by students. Activity may be done in French or English depending on class type and level.

Materials will include a definition sheet like the one below; a list of places and streets; a relevant French vocabulary sheet, and a blank classification sheet for each student.

1. Important French people in American colonial history whose names are the sources of some Pittsburgh streets and places today include General Bouquet, Governor Duquesne, Commandant Joncaire, and General La Fayette.

2. Names of places and streets derived from combining other words or names with the French suffix "ville" include Monroeville and Bridgeville. Espenshade notes that "ville" was mainly used to derive French place names, even though this later on become a common practice.According to him, Brookville, a county seat, is derived from the English word brook which means spring and the French word "ville" which means city or town.

3. Names of places are also derived from descriptive words relating to the physical or geographic feature. Bellefonte, which is beautiful spring in English, was bestowed on the town because of the unusually large spring that has ever since supplied the place with a lot of water.

4. Many cities and towns bear French city names , amongst which are North Versailles, Paris Dunkirk.

5. Names of places and streets derived by combining two or more French words include Charleroi, Bellevue, Belleau, Grandevue, and Larose.

6.Combination of French words to describe perceived or real potential of certain regions have given names to places like Bellevue, which according to Espenshade, provided a fine prospect from a hill within that vicinity. Espenshade observes that this was mainly a fanciful approach to naming places, given that there is no other major reason for this name beyond a general recognition of the natural beauty surrounding the town. Dormont , on the other hand, is from "De", "Or", and "Mont", mount of gold, referring to the beautiful hills on which the town is built and the wonderful opportunities which they offered. This is just an example to facilitate the completion of the assignment on classification and definition given to the class. Teacher may also want to obtain a copy of Espenshade’s Pennsylvania Place Names for more ideas on origins of names.

Assignment

Before more information is offered to the class and before the discussions become more detailed, it would be helpful for students to master the basic information discussed the first two days. So that more discussions can go on smoothly with better understanding of language in historical context and vice versa, students will use their day three to do an evaluation test. For this test, they will be expected to master the names of the streets in Pittsburgh that have French-related names. Later on in the course , they will be expected to know in which section of the city the streets or avenues are. For tomorrow’s test, they will also be expected to know the important French men in the history of Pittsburgh, and also know what their professions were. Lastly, they will be expected to know only a few PA cities, towns and counties ending in "ville", but all the other PA cities, towns and counties with French names

Evaluation (Day three)

This evaluation will go on the entire class period of 40 minutes .

As from now on students will be assigned readings in preparation for the following day’s lesson.

The books from which excerpts will normally be taken are: Asylum for the Queen; Expedition of the Baron Longueuil; and The French Invasion of Western PA, all by Donald Kent; War for Empire in western Pennsylvania by The Fort Ligonier Ass. et al.; History of Colonel Henry Bouquet by Mary Darlington; Pennsylvania Place Names by Espendahade; Laurie Graham’s Singing the City, and Niles’ The Battle of the Bushy Run.

For the following day, students are assigned to read pp1-12 of The French Invasion of W. PA.

In Search of the Makers of the French History of Pennsylvania: CELORON (Day Four)

In Kent’s Asylum for the Queen, the extent to which France was involved in PA is suggested by the fact that the town of Asylum , PA, was a forested area which got its name from being chosen as the waiting asylum for the then wasteful and thought-to-be insane queen of France. France knew PA very well by this time, it seems, thanks to expeditioners and surveyors like the Baron Longueuil, who had done a lot of exploring down the Ohio and the Allegheny (The Expeditions of the Baron Longueuil) before the French decision to link up Louisiana and Canada by colonizing the Ohio country and PA. In fact, The Baron was asked to go with Celoron on the territorial claim trip just before the military activities started, but the Baron declined.

For all that he did, Celoron, also Celeron, has a street named after him in Pittsburgh today, and apart from some of the plates which he planted to claim territory for France, which are a source of respect and glory for him today, I do not know what else represents and honors him in which part of PA. His important duty started, however, when once upon a time --according to War For the Empire in Western Pennsylvania, French voyagers had paddled their canoe through seemingly endless chain of lakes and rivers. With French trading posts, forts, and Jesuit missions scattered thousands of miles , from the St. Lawrence River to Modern Minnesota and down to the Mississippi River to New Orleans, there was a lot of concern and frustration. French errand runners known as courreurs de bois saw only peril and a fragile foothold in this New France because there was too much wilderness to yield to the limited supplies and manpower of the French. Then came DeLangueuil’s expeditions establishing the strategic importance of the Ohio, according to Kent. From then on, it was "Go!’ for the French, who first sent out Celoron to claim territories and later on fought wars to keep the territories, winning some but eventually losing everything between Pittsburgh and Detroit. This is one of a few lessons which deals with selected individuals who were involved in building (and losing ) this New France, but these lessons do not offer a systematic approach to the discussion of these people and their activities. They simply provide an opportunity to learn about each of a few whom I call makers of PA history, and we are starting with Celoron.

In the city of Pittsburgh, I have seen two sites where Celoron’s territorial claim plates were buried. He started his very important trip after the Marquis de la Galissonier, then governor of the New France, was quick to see the significance of the Ohio as link between Canada and Louisiana and sent out the team . Leaving La Chine at the head of the rapids of St. Lawrence above Montreal, on June 15, 1749, he buried the first plate in the Ohio country on July 29, opposite the mouth of the mouth of the Conewango, claiming the river and all the lands around it. He also fastened to a tree a sheet of metal sign with the French King’s coat of arms. By this action, Kent notes, what is now Western PA (Ohio Country then) was declared the possession of Louis XV.

On July 30, he met with Indians where the Brokenstraw Creek enters the Allegheny , and informed them of the aim of his expedition and warned them to keep out the British. On his way down the river, he met with several other Indian tribe leaders to whom he conveyed the same message. Continuing south, he addressed Indians at Venango; found the Indian village of Attique abandoned; warned some English at Chartiers not to stay in town; warned some more English at MckeesRock; had a conferences with Indian leaders at Chininque (Logstown) and warned them against trading with the English, but also promised them equal or better trading terms than those offered by the English. He is said to have gone as far as the Miami River, where he turned north to Detroit early in October, burying plates along the way.

Surprisingly, Kent and the other sources have not mentioned the two plates in Pittsburgh, but is presumed that Celoron buried places at almost all his stops, but Indians stole them just as soon as he left each area. One of his plates found at the mouth of the Great Kanawka in 1824 now belongs to the Virginia Historical Society, according to Kent.

Lesson Goals

This lesson introduces the students to Celoron, one of the most important people in the King Louis XV’s service. Apart from soldiers who fought and died in the King’s service, Celoron may be looked upon as the one single individual with enough zeal and bravery to physically go out to grab lands for the king (Of course he was in no big danger since he was accompanied by soldiers for protection and Indians for diplomacy). The second goal of the lesson is of course to show the student the real beginning of the legacy of the French-related names in Pittsburgh and PA.

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, each student will be able to:

State parts of PA where Celoron stopped to make a claim of territory for King Louis

Provide the names of the other colonies or settlements belonging to France

Enumerate the reasons for the importance of the Ohio and PA territories to the French

First of all students will be questioned on the reading assigned the previous day. A sheet with specific questions will be given each student to do individually. After about 10 minutes, the whole class will go over the questions and answers together in simple French.

Teacher will then lecture on several issues, including Celoron’s allegiance to the king and his country, his journey downstream, and his achievement on a single mission, in French.

Materials will include the excerpt from Kent’s Invasion of PA, a French content-related vocab list, two good maps of PA (old and new) with copies for students and color pencils.

Student Activities

students will be given a map and asked to trace Celoron’s journey down the Ohio, the Allegheny, down the Miami River, and North toward Detroit. For each stop mentioned in the reading as well as the lecture, they will put the picture of a king’s crown. After the whole trip has been mapped and crowns placed where they ought to be, students will try to connect those points to see if what area of territory would be colonized .

Depending on the availability of transportation and time, the class will visit Celoron Street , the sites of the metal plates at Braddock and Forbes and at the Point.

Lastly, a copy of the words on one of the metal plates will be given out to students, not only to be read and translated but also to be linguistically analyzed and compared to present day formal French.

In Search of Makers of PA History: Governor Duquesne and Subordinates (Day 5)

Marquis de la Galissonniere was the governor of the New France when Celoron went out on territorial quest; then came Marquis de Duquesne under whose administration the French military was sent out and forts were constructed from Presque Isle down to the Point. Arriving in Quebec on July 30, 1752, Duquesne aggressively pursued the policy of colonizing and fortifying the territories along the Ohio, the Allegheny, and down to Louisiana. Many people worked for him, but we will only mention a few of those whose names happen to appear somewhere in Pittsburgh or other part of PA today.

In the first year, the French forces were able to carry out only part of Duquesne’s plan. Instead of the whole Ohio country, only the gateway of the Presque Isle portage was securely in French hands with two forts completed: Presque Isle and Le Boeuf. In his second year, Duquesne appointed Contrecoeur to lead the expedition in 1754. On April 16, Contrecoeur reached the Forks of the Ohio, where a small detachment of Virginians had begun to erect a fort. By threat of force, the French compelled the Virginians to surrender and then began the construction of Fort Duquesne. The original plans of building it lower down at Logstown was scrapped because the Forks at the Ohio were a better location to halt English traders and army. So under Governor Duquesne’s leadership Fort Duquesne was completed even as the British and Indians challenged the French establishment.

During the years of the construction and defense of the fort, the Jumonville’s from which come the city and street names, were in the French army. Glen Jumonville was killed in the first skirmish while his brother is said to have avenged his death in the ensuing battle which brought Washington to his knees. Also mentioned is a successful commander Joncaire, after whom a street and a parking lot in Pittsburgh are named.

Duquesne had his people accomplished a lot in a short time. It seems that Fort Duquesne took less than two years to be completed. It is possibly for all this achievement at lightning speed that his name seems to be all over: City of Duquesne; Duquesne Light co; Fort Duquesne Boulevard; Duquesne Incline; Fort Duquesne, which the mayor is asking to be rebuilt, and Duquesne University.

Materials for this lesson will include excerpts from The War for the Empire, and The French Invasion of PA. A content-related vocabulary sheet; the maps of France, Canada, and the Americas,as well as a chart describing the political structure between the King of France and his ruling surrogates in the colonies will also be needed.

The goal is to discuss and learn about the most ambitious French activities in territorial claims , and of course the most aggressive governor of the New France.

After the Battle of Bushy Run , Colonel Bouquet was promoted to Brigadier General and sent to the South by the English, but he died soon after from yellow fever; that was sad and unfortunate. That Bouquet with a French name and origin won a great battle for the English who were rivals to the French throne in these same territories was a great irony. But he probably no longer thought much about his remote past. In fact, Bouquet had become an international person, claiming Swiss citizenship, and having served in other foreign armies before fighting for the British. In addition, he fought the Indians, not the French. Today, Bouquet has a street named after him in Pittsburgh, and many people with a knowledge of French will hastily conclude that he was with the French--because his name is French.

The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to a very flamboyant colonel whose French name , though his allegiance was to the English, adds to the list of French-related names of places, things and people. As a matter of fact, Bouquet Street, across from the former Forbes Quad., now called Posvar Hall at the University of Pittsburgh, was the first French-related word I took notice of in Pittsburgh, as I went to enroll in classes at the university.

Materials needed to prepare a good lesson plan includes three books: Niles Anderson’s The Battle of Bushy run; Kent’s The French Invasion of Western PA; Fort Ligonier Association et al’s War for Empire in Western Pennsylvania, as well as two good maps of PA, one showing the present day and the other of colonial PA and the Ohio country.

It is not easy to produce a complete list of French-related Pennsylvania place names, but it is important to expose students to as many of these names as possible. The most valuable source for this section of the curriculum is Espenshade’s Pennsylvania Place Names, though new up-dated sources are sorely needed. Marquis de la Fayette was an American Revolution War hero, whose bravery, according to Espenshade, had been of inestimable value to the American colonies. Many modern U.S. states have named places, streets and institutions after de la Fayette. Fayette County was carved out of Westmoreland in 1783. Dauphin is a French word used as the title for the designated heir to the throne. It is believed that Dauphin County, formed from Lancaster in 1785, was in a desire to honor the friendly court of France by bestowing upon the new county the name of the hereditary title of the eldest son of Louis XVI . According to Espenshade, the Chevalier de la Luzerne raised money on his own responsibility to relieve the distress when the continental army was almost and the government practically bankrupt. Many years later, the Borough of Luzerne took its name from that of the beloved chevalier. With all intricacies put aside, the town of Wilks-Barre was named after two distinguished heroes , one of whom was French. Colonel Barre had proved himself to be a champion of the American colonies in their growing struggle against British oppression. The capital of Sullivan County , Laporte is named after John Laporte, a descendant of an exiled French family who went on to be Speaker of the General Assembly, then a member of Congress and finally the state’s last survey-general. The name signifies a dweller at the gateway of the city. Montour county is supposedly named after Madame Montour, a half-bred who spoke French and many other languages. Dubois, in Clearfield County and Duboistown, in Lycoming County, are named after John Dubois , a famous lumberman who did business in both counties.

This lesson not only presents some French-related Pennsylvania town and city names to students, but also offers an opportunity for etymological activities. The words Laporte, dauphin, montour, dubois, barre, all can be analyzed and dissected for meanings.

Materials needed to prepare a good lesson plan will include Espenshade’s Pennsylvania Place Names, and good maps showing all former and present PA counties.

Names of Streets in Pittsburgh in French (Day 8)

All together, I have counted about 37 streets in Pittsburgh named in French or bearing the names of French people , famous for activities during frontier days or some other time, those born in nobility. These people, some of whom have already been mentioned in other sections, include Joncaire, Bouquet, Celoron, Jumonville, Louis, Lafayette and Duquesne. These are people and we know what most of them accomplished to deserve the honor of being reminded of daily by a street name.

On the other hand, we have words and word combinations, most of which invoke beauty, nature, music, names of other places and mostly positive ideas. Beaufort, Belle Air, Belleau, Bonair and Labelle are all words that denote beauty. Clarion is a musical instrument. Larose is indicative of nature’s birth or riches.

This lesson is intended to get students involved in not only physically searching for streets with French names, but also being interested in, and experiencing the joy of, studying and dissecting these words, and may be coming up with reasons why those names were assigned to those streets.

The study and dissection of these words would fulfil the Pittsburgh District’s standards in foreign language. The teacher could have the students compose descriptive and definitional phrases with these words for class reports.

In planning the lesson, the materials would include a few encyclopedic French dictionaries, and a good map of the city.

Preparing for Dramatization and Presentations (Day 9)

At the beginning of the implementation of the curriculum, students were advised to think of one of several activities to perform at the end of the unit. Though going through the history of the French occupation and disengagement from Pennsylvania within the time limit of this curriculum unit might have been a bit rushed, it’s been time enough for students to appreciate the history, the participants, the linguistic context, and the aesthetic contributions. All along , each student should have been gathering information and making translations into French .

Today, each student will declare what character he or she has been preparing to act out, using French language. It can be a person or even an object that featured prominently during the French era in Pennsylvania and may or may not still be around today. So a student has as much right to represent the Ohio River, La Belle Riviere, as another student has , to represent Duquesne or Bouquet.

No student will be denied their choice of character, so far as there is enthusiasm shown on the student’s side to seriously carry out the presentation. The presentation must be in French in about two to four minutes, very limited pauses. If two students happen to choose the same character to act they will be both granted their wishes, to the extent that they work independently of each other and come up with different products. Students can also present small group skit, with an extended time of 2 minutes for each group member.

After declaring their topics, students can either sit and quietly work on their texts or prepare questions and come to teacher for help in order.

This lesson or preparation has the main goal of assisting the students realize three main objectives: demonstrate their appreciation of French-American history; compose their thoughts

and feelings on people, issues and objects in French; and orally and physically communicate this to the audience. This fulfils the district’s standard in oral proficiency in foreign language.

Rehearsal for Dramatization (Day 10)

In addition to helping students with the grammatical and contextual format of their skit or drama, teacher will also arrange the order in which students will appear in front of the class to do their presentations. Students will spend the rest of the day rehearsing. Students will also have the opportunity to rehears some more during this week-end, since today is the tenth day of the two school-week since the implementation of the curriculum.

Dramatization of Characters by Individuals or Small Groups (Day11)

In accordance with the foreign language standards, students will be evaluated on their level of fluency in the dramatization. of the character, situation or object of their choice . Given that the student has thought up all the ideas and has put together the text except for some guidance from the teacher, the drama should be characterized by the unison of gesture, tone and voice cadence with reasoning; fluency should be characterized by pronunciation and enunciation and the flow of words. All this should of course be put in the context of a narrative, a situational analysis, a self-introduction, and whatever else the student wishes to term the process.

Annotated Bibliography and Student Resource

Anderson, Niles. The Battle of Bushy Run. Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Historical

and Museum commission, 1991.

Short and easy to read, this booklet gives a chronological progression of activities leading to, and including the battle. The Battle of Bushy Run was the main and decisive battle following a series of attacks carried out by Indians who had decided at that point to band together and get rid of European settlers. Sent to relieve besieged Fort Pitt, Bouquet was ambushed where the Battle of Bushy Run . The booklet contains a detailed topographical map, stating the position of various troops.

Darlington, Mary Carson. History of Colonel Henry Bouquet and the Western Frontiers of

Pennsylvania, 1747-1764 Privately Printed ( No other information)

Apparently printed by the daughter of the author, this source provides lists of various Pennsylvania officers who served in the Western frontier. In most cases, in groups or individually, officers’ names are followed by their achievement .A few important people, including Bouquet, have extensive sections about their military career and as well as other noteworthy activities outside of the military. The section on Bouquet also has exhibits of his papers , letters to his superiors as well as entries in his diary.

Espenshade, Howry. Pennsylvania Name Place Names. Harrisburg: Evangelical Press, 1925.

This interesting source provides the origins and explanations of a lot of Pennsylvania places, including cities, counties, and towns. While a lot of historical facts are the sources for the origins of most of the place names , some of the sources are simply hypothesized or guessed. In his analysis, Espenshade has names of Pennsylvania places linked to names of Nobles; important political, military and business people; natural settings; names of European cities and capitals. The most interesting aspect of the naming process is certainly that which deals directly with word combinations , because these provide a basis for etymological exercises in the French classroom.

Graham, Laurie. Singing The City: The Bonds of Home in the Industrial Landscape. Pittsburgh:

The University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998.

Graham’s book is like a poetic novel, written with a lot of passion, emotion and nostalgia. Yet the reader can clearly hear the scientist, the historian, and the social scientist, analyzing this city from its very origin till today. Through it one can feel and be part of almost every aspect of this city full of changing social, demographic, and economic facts.

Kent, Donald. The French Invasion of Western Pennsylvania, 1753. Harrisburg: Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania, 1954.

This is probably the most complete source on French activities during the frontier days in Pennsylvania. But it also touches on activities involving territories in the North and the South. This is a main text for students and teachers because it provides in-depth information , with parts or full texts of documents, correspondence and directives in French--or translated--available.

West, Martin, ed. War for The Empire in Western Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania

Historical and Museum Commission, 1993.

This is also an easy-to-read source. Presenting the view that Europeans (here mostly the French and British) were building their empires by trying to carve out, and hold on to, as much of America as they could--by fighting against each other, and either fighting against or allying with Indians, the book goes on to show how complicated that proved for all parties involved. Indians won battles , but were eventually deprived of much of their lands; At some point, The British and French played musical chairs, alternatively holding on to, and then losing some land. Eventually, of course, Forbes, Braddock and Bouquet can be remembered for victories that gave the English control over what region Pittsburgh is today.

Teacher Guide and Resources

Baldwin, Leland. Pittsburgh: The Story of a City 1750-1865. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh

Press, 1970.

Eckert, Allen. The Conquerors. Boston and Toronto: Little Brown, 1970.

Kidney, Walter. The Three Rivers. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Historical Landmarks, 1982.

Morris, Thomas. Journal of Captain Thomas Morris from Miscellaneous in Prose and Verse .

Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, Inc., 1991.

O’Meara, Walter. Guns at the Fork. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1979.

Parkman, Francis. The Conspiracy of Pontiac, vol. one. London and Lincoln: The University of

Nebraska Press, 1994.

_____________. The Conspiracy of Pontiac, vol. two. London and Lincoln: The University of

Nebraska Press.

Shank, P.E. Indian Trails to Super High Ways. York, Pennsylvania: American Canal and

Transportation Center, 1996.

Toker, Franklin. Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait. Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh Press,

1986.

William Edward. The Orderly Book Of Colonel Henry Bouquet’s Expedition Against the Ohio

Indians. Pittsburgh: Privately Printed for Author by Mayer Press.

Witthoft, John. The American Indian as Hunter. Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Historical Museum Commission, 1999.