The French in Texas: History, Migration, Culture.

The French in Texas: History, Migration, Culture. Edited by Francois Lagarde. Focus on American History Series. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003. Pp. xiv, 330. Paper, $24.95, ISBN 0-292-70528-X; cloth, $55.00, ISBN 0-292-74734-9.)

In French people's minds, the word Texas is more likely to evoke gun-wielding cowboys or Dallas oil tycoons than the historical figures of Robert Cavelier de La Salle or Jean Laffite. They may be forgiven because the French have never formed a substantial immigrant group in Texas. However, the question of mere numbers is not enough to justify writing off their contribution to Texas history, as Francois Lagarde demonstrates in this volume. The book seeks to avoid duplicating existing histories of exploration and settlement. A collection of twenty-one chronologically organized essays, it examines the French in Texas from various angles, adopting diverse approaches. The first contributions are historical and deal with well-known figures (sometimes seen in a new light, as in the opening article on La Salle that debunks the myth of the explorer's heroic stature) and with less famous ones like Athanase de Mezieres. Other essays are more cultural, stressing the religious and educational influence of Catholic missions or the artistic impact of the French in the area--the latter being rather modest in spite of the work of painters like the Gentilz couple. One, possibly two, essays treat the question of the cultural representation of Texas. Still another group is sociological and concerns the size and nature of French immigration then and now, as well as the economic activity of the French up to recent years. Lagarde, for example, shows the role played by gallic-turned-global firms in the economic transformation of Texas.

A common link unites the contributions: the attraction of a dream embodied by Texas--a very materialistic dream to be sure, though not exclusively so. This dream is evident in the French kings' desires to develop colonies, as well as in their envoys' dealings in the new land. In this respect the essay on Alphonse Dubois de Saligny's dubious and sometimes grotesque behavior is telling. This dream is evident also in immigrants' habitual hopes--spurred on by the propagandist nature of many writings--to improve their social and economic circumstances, as revealed in the essays about Henri Castro's successful colony of Alsatians and about Louisiana Cajuns. Unfortunately the dream turned into a nightmare for many of these people, who were faced with unheard-of conditions, from mosquito-infested swamps to hostile Indians. (However, Indians were not always hostile; it would have been interesting to analyze further the reasons for periodic French success with native peoples, in contrast to the Spaniards' failures.)

Yet there is another, more idealistic aspect to the dream of success and riches disclosed by the book. This may be seen in the failed attempt to turn Texas into a land of freedom and refuge for the Bonapartist exiles at Champ d'Asile, or the unsuccessful efforts by Icarians and Fourierists to establish utopian settlements. This more idealistic dream may also be apparent in the work of the Catholic Church to expand its influence through missionaries and institutions, though Lagarde prefers to see this as "a colonial enterprise that succeeded" (p. 153).

The book has many good points, It certainly offers a very comprehensive view of its subject, even if one may always wish for something that is not included; a study of French Texans' participation in the Civil War would have been of interest. Most of the essays are carefully researched, and the book is copiously illustrated with engravings, posters, photos, splendid maps, and colorful paintings. An adequate selected bibliography is included, as well as a serviceable index. There are nevertheless some minor flaws and shortcomings. Attempts to be exhaustive occasionally result in the production of longish lists of names. Furthermore, there is some uncertainty as concerns the public the book addresses. The general reader will be enlightened by clear, well-structured essays like Jonathan Beecher's but might get lost in the wealth of minute details of others, especially in the absence of broad general contextual information. Then, as is often the case in this type of collection, the essays are uneven, not only in length but also in depth. Some are merely descriptive and fall short on analysis. What justification is there for Eugenie Lavender being called a "Romantic" when all we have is a very brief biography of the painter (p. 192)? The essay on Alsatian emigration is also puzzling. All that is said might equally apply to other French peasants--illiteracy and poverty were the rule for most. So why did this group emigrate when Auvergnats did not?

On the whole, however, this volume constitutes a very valuable contribution to a topic that is not as narrow as it might first appear; perhaps optimistically, the collection tries to prove that the French legacy in Texas is enduring.

ANNE-MARIE BONIFAS

University of Nice