French language in Minnesota

France was a big trading partner with the United States, so hundreds of years ago people in Minnesota started speaking French. Over time, the French language has been passed down through generations of people in Minnesota and it is still used in many parts of the state today. Many cities still have French names like Bemidji, Le Sueur, St. Paul, and Chisago. People in Minnesota still go to French language schools and there are even French language radio programs that broadcast in some areas. So French is still a very important part of Minnesota's culture and history.