The Time of The French in the Heart of North America, by Charles J. Balesi

Here's a book that connects the dots of our French Colonial history between 1673-1818. I was amazed to see how key the doings in Illinois were to both the French Canadian scene and to that of Louisiana. In fact, I did not know that once Illinois was part of Louisiana when its capital was Mobile. Anyway, Charles Balesi has done a great job of assembling and connecting information based on primary sources about this people and this period which is of great interest to me, personally. It is even readable, for the most part, and gives rich detail about the various tribal interactions among the Native Americans of the time.

Balesi, Charles J. The Time of the French in the Heart of North America: 1673-1818. 1992. Alliance Francaise. Chicago. Illinois.