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Though France and the US can seem worlds apart, and many Americans still find the majority of Europe's quirks to be bizarre, the two countries are actually quite closely linked. The history of French-American culture can still be felt today, as France was a supporter of the US from the very beginning.
However, due to recent US policy shifts under President Donald Trump, French politician Raphaël Glucksmann has proposed that the United States return the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France in 1881. Glucksmann argues that America's alignment with authoritarian regimes contradicts the statue's symbolism of freedom. Nonetheless, the French government has not endorsed this viewpoint, and the statue remains US property.
The deep historical ties between France and the US have long been reflected in shared values of democracy and freedom. While political tensions may shift, the enduring cultural and historical connections between the two nations remain strong.
Click through to explore key moments in French-American relations and discover which American celebrities have French heritage.
Approximately 11.8 million Americans of French or French Canadian descent currently live and work in the US, with about two million of those reportedly speaking French at home, according to census data from 2010. The number only increased when additional French-American citizens were added from the large Creole community, whose language is based on French.
France was the first friendly country to the US. France supported the Americans during the Revolutionary War from 1775-1783. The young French King Louis XVI was keen to use the conflict to weaken the British Empire and thus helped Americans defeat the British at Yorktown.
On February 6, 1778, Benjamin Franklin and the French representative to the US signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris, France, the former of which recognized the US as an independent nation and promoted trade between France and the United States.
The French architect and urban planner Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed Washington, D.C., the US capital city, in 1791. D.C. is still full of Parisian elements and is equally rich in history, horticulture, and haute cuisine. L'Enfant also inspired the street plan for Detroit, Michigan.
Imported French attire, particularly things like gloves and lace, gained popularity in the early 19th century. Around 1850, the French custom of wearing beards swept across the US, and the Huguenots—French Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries persecuted by the French Catholic government—soon introduced several skilled crafts like new weaving techniques, leather dressing, lace making, and felt manufacture, reports Americans All.
In 1881, the French gifted the Statue of Liberty to US ambassador Levi Parsons Morton to commemorate the two countries’ alliance during the American Revolution. The Statue arrived in New York Harbor in 1885, and was mounted the following year to much fanfare.
In 1917, the US sent troops to defend foreign soil for the first time ever, and it’s no surprise that the American Expeditionary Force was first deployed for France.
The rapid immigration of French people in the US shared elements of French culture and rules of etiquette, and, more importantly, French art, literature, fashion, and cuisine. Writers like Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, philosophers like Simone de Beauvoir—who became a key figure for American feminists—and artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir introduced the US to things such as French Impressionism and romantic literature, inspiring many American creatives.
French chefs and restaurants in the US helped spread the influence of French cuisine, and introduced lasting beloved foods from simple baked breads and pastries to the charcuterie craze and “haute cuisine.” They also brought technical farming skills that vastly improved US wines.
Many French citizens are drawn to the US for the climate, so it’s no surprise that California reportedly has the most significant French population, followed by Louisiana, while Maine has the highest percentage (25%) of French inhabitants.
Roughly 2.1 million Americans over the age of five reported speaking the language at home in a federal 2010 estimate in the US Census Bureau, which includes all French dialects and French-derived Creoles. Several varieties of French evolved in the US. For example, Louisiana French is spoken by descendants of colonists in French Louisiana; New England French is spoken by descendants of 19th and 20th-century Canadian migrants; Missouri French is spoken by descendants of French settlers in the Illinois Country; and Métis French is spoken among the indigenous Métis Nation of North Dakota.
When it comes to the famous, some have French-American parents or grandparents, some have French-Canadian ancestry and were raised in the US, and some are first-generation French-Americans.
On her father's side, Jolie is of German and Slovak descent, while her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was of French-Canadian ancestry. Surely Jolie got to practice a bit through Château Miraval, which she bought with ex Brad Pitt.
The ‘New Girl’ actress is the daughter of Academy Award–nominated cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel, whose father was French, from Oullins, Rhône. Her other roots reportedly include English, German, Scottish, Irish, and Dutch.
Though she was raised in Connecticut and her mother is Polish-American, Sevigny’s father was of French-Canadian heritage.
Patricia Arquette's mother was Jewish, with ancestors having emigrated from Poland and Russia, but her father was of French-Canadian descent, along with Swiss-German and English. The Arquette family's surname was originally "Arcouet."
The actor has given numerous interviews in French, not to mention his name being quite the giveaway. His father, Marc Chalamet, is from Nîmes, in the South of France.
The ‘Seinfeld’ actress was born in New York City to French billionaire father Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, who served as chairman of the Louis Dreyfus Company.
The cult-favorite actor’s father is reportedly of French descent, though Dafoe is also of English, German, Irish, and Scottish descent.
The actor’s mother comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, while his father is of French Cajun ancestry, according to IMDb. LaBeouf is actually the French word for "beef,” and was a relatively common surname when the French came to Louisiana.
While her mother is of Irish descent, Anne Hathaway’s father reportedly has French, Irish, English, and German ancestry.
The beloved ‘Friends’ actor’s father is of French-Canadian descent, and his mother is of Italian ancestry, which seems more apparent in Joey, who famously struggles to learn French with Phoebe.
Madonna Louise Ciccone’s father was the child of Italian immigrants, but her mother Madonna Louise Fortin came from a long line of French Canadians who only emigrated to the US in the 1880s, reports The French-Canadian Genealogist.
The singer is of three quarters Italian descent, though her maternal grandfather was of French-Canadian descent. Perhaps that’s where her fascination and frequent use of French in her music comes from.
The actor is part French Canadian, but also has Irish, English, Austrian, German and Norwegian ancestry. His surname means “from the hamlet” in French.
The actor’s father is of French-Canadian and Italian descent, and his mother has English and German ancestry. His uncle, author Paul Theroux, has previously made fun of him for mispronouncing their French last name!
The star of ‘The Idol’ was born to Johnny Depp and French star Vanessa Paradis. Lily Rose-Depp herself was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
The US celebrates National French-American Heritage Month every July, an initiative spearheaded by Alliance Française to honor the significant contributions made to the country by people of French descent.
Sources: (Americans All) (Census Bureau) (IMDb) (The French-Canadian Genealogist)
See also: Things that are considered normal in the US but are weird in the rest of the world
The rich, star-studded legacy of French-American heritage
The years of influence ring out in art, culture, cuisine, and more
CELEBRITY France
Though France and the US can seem worlds apart, and many Americans still find the majority of Europe's quirks to be bizarre, the two countries are actually quite closely linked. The history of French-American culture can still be felt today, as France was a supporter of the US from the very beginning.
However, due to recent US policy shifts under President Donald Trump, French politician Raphaël Glucksmann has proposed that the United States return the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France in 1881. Glucksmann argues that America's alignment with authoritarian regimes contradicts the statue's symbolism of freedom. Nonetheless, the French government has not endorsed this viewpoint, and the statue remains US property.
The deep historical ties between France and the US have long been reflected in shared values of democracy and freedom. While political tensions may shift, the enduring cultural and historical connections between the two nations remain strong.
Click through to explore key moments in French-American relations and discover which American celebrities have French heritage.