Jacques Lacoursière

1.1. Birth and Childhood

Jacques Lacoursière was born in Shawinigan, Quebec, in 1932. He spent his early years in the Mauricie region before later residing in Beauport, within the Greater Quebec area. His family environment during his upbringing in these regions influenced his life path.

1.2. Education and Early Interests

Lacoursière pursued a M.A. degree in history from the University of Ottawa. His academic journey also included studies in pedagogy at the École normale Maurice-L.-Duplessis in Trois-Rivières, where he obtained a baccalaureate in his late twenties. Before dedicating himself to history, Lacoursière explored various career paths; he initially considered the priesthood, even purchasing a cassock, and later showed interest in law. He also lent a hand in his family's business. Despite admitting that he was not originally inclined towards history and initially loved literature, his strong interest in the subject was sparked during his time at the École normale, where he was a student of Denis Vaugeois. Vaugeois, who was younger than Lacoursière at the time, is credited with instilling in him a passion for history, which became his late vocation.

2.1. Early Collaborations and Public Service

In the 1960s, Lacoursière collaborated with Libre Nation, a nationalist and independentist newspaper. Despite his involvement in nationalist publications, his friend Denis Vaugeois noted in a 2018 tribute that Lacoursière was "maybe a nationalist, but not enough to be uncomfortable in federal institutions." In 1968, he entered Quebec's public service, working for the Ministère de l'éducation, and in 1969, he served as a political attaché at the Ministère des affaires intergouvernementales. His fascination with history led him to work for the history magazine Nos Racines for an extended period. Although this work is no longer available in its original published form, Lacoursière later reworked these texts for his highly successful Histoire populaire du Québec collection. He was also one of the creators of Le Boréal Express, alongside Denis Vaugeois and Gilles Boulet.

2.2. Media and Broadcasting

Lacoursière made significant contributions to television, bringing his historical expertise to the screen. From 1977 to 1978, he served as a researcher for the acclaimed Duplessis TV series, directed by Denys Arcand and broadcast on Radio-Canada. in 1996, he further participated in the production of the historical TV series Épopée en Amérique, realized by Gilles Carle.

2.3. Literary Career

Jacques Lacoursière's literary career is marked by his prolific output and his dedication to popularizing history, thereby democratizing access to historical narratives and promoting public engagement with the past. His most widely recognized achievement is the Histoire populaire du Québec series, published in five books by Éditions du Septentrion. The first four books were reissued in 2013, 2020, and 2021. A condensed English version, A People's History of Quebec, was co-authored by Lacoursière and translated by Robin Philpot, published by Baraka Books in association with Denis Vaugeois's Éditions Septentrion. Lacoursière's ability to communicate complex historical information and make it accessible to a larger audience was a hallmark of his writing. His extensive bibliography includes:

• 1968: Histoire, 1534-1968, with the Boréal Express team, under supervision by Denis Vaugeois and Jacques Lacoursière
• 1969: Les Troubles de 1837-38, with Denis Vaugeois and Jacques Lacoursière
• 1970: L'Acte de Québec et la Révolution américaine, with Denis Vaugeois and Jacques Lacoursière
• 1972: Notre histoire: Québec-Canada
• 1972: Alarme citoyens ! : l'affaire Cross-Laporte, du connu à l'inconnu, Montréal, Éditions La Presse
• 1974: Québec 72-73
• 1976: Canada-Québec : synthèse historique, with Denis Vaugeois and Jacques Lacoursière
• 1979: Il était une fois... le Québec, research under supervision by Jacques Lacoursière
• 1991: Mémoires québécoises, by Jacques Mathieu and Jacques Lacoursière
• 1995-1997: Histoire populaire du Québec, in five books, Éditions du Septentrion (reissue of the first four books in 2013, 2020 and 2021)
• 1995: A People's History of Quebec, a condensed version of the five "Histoire populaire du Québec" books, translated into English by Robin Philpot
• 1997: Monsieur le président : les orateurs et les présidents depuis 1792
• 2000: La Chanson comme miroir de poche : conversation avec Jacques Lacoursière / Gilles Vigneault
• 2000: Canada-Québec : synthèse historique, 1534-2000, new edition, with Jean Provencher and Denis Vaugeois; new edition updated in 2011 under the title: Canada-Québec, 1534-2010
• 2001: Shawinigan, 100 ans d'histoire : De l'effervescence au renouveau, Éditions des Glanures, Shawinigan
• 2002: Une histoire du Québec / racontée par Jacques Lacoursière, Éditions du Septentrion, Québec
• 2005: L'Île-des-Sœurs : d'hier à aujourd'hui, Montréal
• 2008: Histoire populaire du Québec, (book 5)
• 2008: Québec et sa région, Montréal, Éditions de l'Homme