“Sitting in a park in Paris, France
Reading the news and it sure looks bad
They won't give peace a chance
That was just a dream some of us had
Still a lot of lands to see
But I wouldn't wanna stay here
It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here” – California by Joni Mitchell
Now that we’re starting to identify ancestors who came from France, I am not familiar with this type of research. I’m very impressed by the detail I’m finding in French baptismal, marriage, and census records.
France’s records include extra divisions that we don’t have in the United States. They don’t have states or counties per say. So, here’s an introduction:
Communes are towns and villages governed by a mayor and municipal council.
Cantons are usually a collective of small communes for voting and elections. No legal or political identity. Somewhat similar to a county seat.
Arrondissements are districts that oversee police and fire protection. No legal or political identity. Somewhat similar to a county.
Départements are similar to states that oversee social and welfare services, and maintenance of roads and infrastructure. Each department has a two-digit number; so, locals would call Belfort "the 90".
Régions are similar to our geographic regions, but they can levy taxes, build high schools, and control spending on education, public transit, and universities.
This table shows the closest equivalent to each of the administrative divisions of France:
| American Town | In 1846 | Today |
Town or Commune | Diamondhead | Boron | Boron |
Voter Registration or Canton | Bay St. Louis | Delle | Grandvillars |
County or Arrondissement | Hancock (elected officials) | Belfort | Belfort (appointed officials) |
State or Département | Mississippi | Haut-Rhin | Territoire de Belfort (Dept. 90) |
Region or Région | Southeast | Alsace | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
Country | United States | France | France |
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