This prospective collection compiles and organizes items of significant importance from the old E.L. Higgins Collection (M89-22) to the wider French speaking world, its culture, and its history. This collection hopes to provide an important place for all students and scholars alike to study the vast rich history of French speaking culture and history, from the Bourbons to France’s African and New World colonies, and so much more.
It should be noted that despite the name of the collection, English items are present if they provide a reasonable significance to French history and/or culture. Some other things of note: Some item descriptions may be incomplete or incorrect due to human error, some translations may have slight errors, and if the character ſ is seen (italicized ſ), it should be noted that it is not the character “f”, but instead a “long S”, and replaces the character “s”.
A guide to the upcoming collection created by students with additional information about the items may be found here.
Box 1 – Colonial Louisiana Territory / La Louisiane coloniale
File 1 – 1802 Map of New Orleans Print
File 2 – Handwritten French Diary of Early New Orleans copy
File 3 – Translated French Diary of Early New Orleans
File 4 – Manuscript Describing Early New Orleans (pre-1800)
File 5 – Life in New Orleans in the Spanish Period
File 6 – View of the Spanish Colony of the Mississippi or the Provinces of Louisiana and West Florida in the Year 1802
File 7 – Vue de la colonie espagnole du Mississippi ou des provinces de Louisiane et Floride occidentale
Box 2 – French Revolution / La révolution française
File 1 – Fall of Monarchy
File 2 – The French Revolution as Told by Contemporaries
File 3 – The French Revolution as Told by Contemporaries
File 4 – Handwritten Documents from France
File 5 – Hébert
File 6 – Collections de mémoires relatifs à la Révolution française Mémoires de Louvet de Couvray, or, Collection of Memoirs Relating to the French Revolution Memoirs of [Jean-Baptiste] Louvet de Couvray
File 7 – The Insurrection of August 10th
File 8 – Mémoires sur la convention et le directoire copy
File 9 – Miscellaneous Information on the French Revolution
File 10 – The 13th Vendémiaire
Box 3 – Rare Books in French / Des livres rares en français
File 1 – Les métamorphoses, or, The Metamorphoses
File 2 – Les Plus Belles Lettres des meilleurs auteurs françois, or, The Most Beautiful Letters of the Best French Authors
File 3 – Considérations sur les gouvernemens [gouvernements], et principalement sur celui qui convient, or, Considerations on Governments, and Principally on the One that Suits France
File 4 – Le Dernier Abencérage, or, The Last Abencérage
File 5 – Mémoires justificatifs de la comtesse de Valois de la Motte, or, Supporting Memoirs from the Countess of Valois de la Motte
File 6 – Décret de l’assemblée nationale, or, Decree of the National Assembly
File 7 – Plan général d’organisation de l’Armée, arrêté par le Roi, le 7 juillet, or, General Plan of Organization of the Army, Declared by the King, the 7th of July
File 8 – Opinion de M. Barnave, Prononcée à la Séance du 15 Juillet, or, Opinion of M. Barnave, Declared at the Meeting of the 15th of July
File 9 – Rapport sommaire de la nouvelle division du Royaume; Nouvelles réflexions sur la nouvelle division du Royaume, or, Summary Report of the New Division of the Kingdom; New Reflections on the New Division of the Kingdom
File 10 – Opinion de M. Barrère député du département des Hautes-Pyrénées, Prononcée à la ſéance du ſamedi 27 août 1791, Contre l’initiative du Roi & des ministres concernant les contributions publiques, initiative propoſée par les comités de Constitution & de Révision, or, Opinion of M. Barère, Deputy of the Department of Hautes-Pyrénées Declared at the Meeting of Saturday the 27th of August 1791, Against the Initiative of the King and the Ministers Concerning Public Contributions Initiative Proposed by the Committees of Constitution and of Review
File 11 – Précis historique de la révolution françoise, or, Precise History of the French Revolution
File 12 – Précis Historique, de la vie, des crimes et du supplice de Robespierre, et de ses principaux Complices. Par le Citoyen, or, Precise History of the Life, Crimes, and Torture of Robespierre and His Principal Accomplices. By the Citizenry.
File 13 – Souvenirs du lieutenant général comte Mathieu Dumas de 1770-1836 publiés par son fils, Tome Premier, or, Memories of Lieutenant General Mathieu Dumas from 1770-1836, Published by His Son, Volume One