▲The siege of Yorktown, a decisive battle during the American Revolutionary War, saw the British routed by George Washington's Continental Army, and French Army troops led by Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau. The illustration shows Generals Washington and Rochambeau, together with the Marquis de Lafayette.

▲La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded in 1718 and named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. The city's historic French Quarter is a popular tourist destination.

▲Looming large over the Las Vegas Strip is a 540-ft replica of the Eiffel Tower, centerpiece of the glitzy Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

▲The museum's Memories Room is where Washington bid farewell to his officers in December 1783. Inside is a small statue of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who served with Washington and was the architect who designed Washington, D.C.

▲Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754–1825) was a French engineer and architect who designed the basic plan for Washington, D.C., a gridiron of irregular rectangular blocks and broad diagonal avenues, exemplified by the National Mall. L'Enfant is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

▲The very anglo-sounding Tony Parker was born in Bruges, Belgium but raised in France. However, he's better known in America as a professional NBA basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs.

▲A number of Hollywood actors speak fluent French. Among them is Jodie Foster, who studied at the Lycée Français in Los Angeles. Other notable French speakers include Bradley Cooper and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

▲French sociologist and political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to the United States in 1831 and chronicled his visit through copious notes. The notes became the basis for his celebrated work 'Democracy in America.'

▲Compare the Chateau d'Amboise in France's Loire Valley with this plush hotel, which dates back to 1929. The similarities in design are quite deliberate. The famous Hollywood landmark has also popped up in numerous movies.

▲There are several towns and cities in the US called Paris, but it's Paris, TX that continues to capture the public's imagination. The town was featured in Wim Wenders's 1984 film (although it is, in fact, set elsewhere), and a 70-ft Eiffel Tower is situated in the center, topped with a crimson Stetson.

▲When intrepid French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe stumbled across an odd-looking rock formation along the banks of the Arkansas River in 1721, he named it "la petit roche," or the "little rock." Today, Little Rock is the state capital of Arkansas.

▲French Arcadians from Nova Scotia migrated south in the early 1800s to settle in what is now Louisiana. The name "Cajun" is generally accepted as an English mispronunciation of "Acadian." Pictured is an extended Cajun family at home in Crowley, LA in the 1930s.

▲Spicy homemade Jambalaya, a traditional Cajun dish made with smoked andouille sausage (brought to Louisiana by French immigrants) and shrimp. The town of LaPlace, on the Mississippi River, is famous for its authentic Creole andouille.

▲A seasonal treat, crawfish étouffée is a Creole classic. The word étouffée comes from the French word "to smother," and the dish is a rich stew chock full of tender crawfish served over a bed of rice.

▲Born Jean-Louis Kérouac, the influential American novelist and poet was of French-Canadian descent. Hailing from Massachusetts, the Beat Generation spokesman is celebrated for his defining work, 'On the Road.' The 120-foot-long original scroll of the novel is pictured.

▲Rene Gagnon was one of the six flag-raisers on the famous Iwo Jima Memorial. Born in Manchester, NH to French-Canadian immigrants, Gagnon, together with his five fellow marines, are immortalized on the Marine Corps War Memorial, in Washington, D.C.

▲Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the third US president, served as US minister to France and was based in Paris from 1774 to 1789. While abroad he became enamored with French cuisine and cooking methods. After being sworn in as president in 1801, one of his first priorities was hiring a French chef for the White House kitchen.

▲One of the most iconic structures in the US was designed by French sculptor Fréderic Auguste Bartholdi, built by Gustav Eiffel, and presented as a gift of friendship from the people of France. A quarter-scale replica overlooks the River Seine in Paris.

▲A close confidant of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette fought in the American Revolutionary War and was present at Yorktown when British forces under Lord Cornwallis surrendered. The photograph shows a bronze sculpture depicting the Marquis de Lafayette, located at Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

▲American soldiers stationed in Belgium during World War I named the fried potato slices they were served "French fries" after the French language spoken by Belgium combatants. The misnomer stuck, and arrived in the States to take its place at the top of fast food menus across the nation.

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Hit a Louisiana live music bar and chances are you'll end up tapping your feet to zydeco, a musical style that evolved from French Creole speakers' admiration for blues and R&B. It is uniquely performed using a piano accordion and washboard.

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Cajun music is characterized by the catchy combination of accordion and fiddle, along with the high-pitched tones of a metal triangle. Unlike zydeco, the sound is rooted in Creole-influenced, Acadian musical tradition.

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Ever wondered how early Acadian, Creole, and American Indian peoples lived and worked? Well, you get a pretty good idea from this historic village, which features guided tours around original homes, costumed artisans, live music, a cooking school, dance lessons, and yoga classes. French and English are spoken throughout.

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The Louisiana state capital was founded in 1721 by French colonists. The city is named after bâton rouge—"red stick"—a red boundary pole placed by American Indian tribes to mark territory and discovered by French explorers in 1699. Pictured is the amazing stained glass dome of the Old State Capitol building.

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Dashing French pirate Jean Lafitte helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British in the final battle of the War of 1812. The city's Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street is reputed to be one of the oldest structures used as a bar in the United States.

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Located in New York City is this landmark museum, which served as a headquarters for George Washington before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. Among its previous owners was Etienne DeLancey, a French Huguenot.

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The central block of the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C. was influenced by the facade of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris.

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The Vermont state capital was named for Montpelier, France, as an acknowledgement of the country's military assistance during the American Revolutionary War. Other French-named US state capitals include Baton Rouge, Boise, Des Moines, Juneau, Pierre, and Saint Paul.

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Some of America's most acclaimed restaurants specialize in fine French cuisine, including The French Laundry, a three-star Michelin restaurant located in California's Napa Valley. Diners are served plated works of culinary art.

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Café du Monde is the best place to sample beignets, fried dough wedges showered with powdered sugar. Brought from Canada to Louisiana by the French-speaking Acadians, the belt-loosening delicacy has been served here since 1862.

▲Did you know that France played a huge hand in shaping the outcome of the American Revolutionary War? Or that several US state capitals owe their names to French explorers? OK, so French fries are not quite what they seem. But one of the most iconic monuments in America was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States.

Browse the gallery and find out more about how a country in Europe has influenced the cultural and political landscape of America.

How French is the USA?

France has helped shape the cultural and political landscape of America

01/10/24 por StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE French

Did you know that France played a huge hand in shaping the outcome of the American Revolutionary War? Or that several US state capitals owe their names to French explorers? OK, so French fries are not quite what they seem. But one of the most iconic monuments in America was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States.

Browse the gallery and find out more about how a country in Europe has influenced the cultural and political landscape of America.