When the United States spoke French

Even though some Americans got so peeved with the French a few years back that they renounced French fries, the fact remains: This nation's ties with France are deep.

Francois Furstenberg, author of "In the Name of the Father: Washington’s Legacy, Slavery, and the Making of a Nation," explores some of those ties when he gives a free talk at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5 in Sykes Auditorium at Queens University.

Furstenberg, a history and American studies professor at the University of Montreal, will trace the outlines of his book in progress, tentatively titled "When the United States Spoke French: Land, Émigrés and Politics in the Age of Revolutions."

It follows a group of émigrés who fled the French Revolution and took refuge on American shores. Check here for details.