Episode 363: Road Trip 2023: Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park

About 620 miles north of New Orleans and 62 miles south of St. Louis sits the town of Ste. Geneviève, Missouri.

Established in 1750 by the French, Ste. Geneviève reveals much about what it was like to establish a colony in the heartland of North America and what it was like for colonists to live so far removed from seats of imperial power.

Claire Casey, a National Park Service interpretative ranger at the Ste. Geneviève National Historic Park, joins us to explore the early American history of Ste. Geneviève.

This episode was originally posted as Episode 318.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

Episode Summary

‌Claire Casey, a National Park Service interpretative ranger at the Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park, joins us to explore the early American history of Ste. Geneviève, Missouri.

During our exploration, Claire reveals information about the Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park and how Ste. Geneviève became a National Park Service site; Details about early American life in Ste. Geneviève and why the French established this frontier settlement; And, how and why Ste. Geneviève changed imperial hands three times between France, Spain, and the United States.

What You’ll Discover

Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park
How historic places become National Historical Parks
Historic sites within the Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park
Interpreting the historic sites of Ste. Geneviève
Work of National Park Service interpretive rangers
Native American history of Ste. Geneviève Site
Why the French settled in Missouri
How Ste. Geneviève connected with the French colonial world
Life in colonial Ste. Geneviève
Trade between colonial Ste. Geneviève and Osage communities
Slavery in colonial Ste. Geneviève
Life for the enslaved in colonial Ste. Geneviève
Code Noir in Ste. Geneviève
The Seven Years’ War and Ste. Geneviève
The transition from French to Spanish territory
The American Revolution and Ste. Geneviève
Imperial life of Ste. Geneviève
The Flood of 1785
Rebuilding Ste. Geneviève
The Louisiana Purchase and American governance
The U.S. presence in Ste. Geneviève

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if Ste. Geneviève had remained entirely under French governance until 1804? How might the life and culture of the Ste. Geneviève community have been different?