History in Northern France
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Early History of Nord
The Romans often used Germanic tribes for military service, and from the 300s to the 700s this procedure affected the culture and linguistics of an area of land stretching from Boulogne to Cologne.
Within this period, the Saxons also colonized portions of the area so that by the 800s, many inhabitants spoke a dialect of Dutch, while many spoke dialects of Italian. Soon, however, governmental policy declared French the official language of Nord.
Lille Becomes the Principal City of Nord
It is unclear when Lille was founded. Mention of the city certainly appears in archives from 1066, but settlements had probably existed in or near Lille from long before this year.
No matter when Lille was founded, by the 1100s, the city had become famed for its importance in the cloth trade.
In 1214, following an international war between England, Germany, the Holy Roman Empire, and France, the area fell into dispute, and it was passed between kingdoms and religions until the famous French “Sun King,” Louis XIV claimed the area, making Lille part of France from 1668.
Yet, by this point in history, some citizens of Lille considered themselves Flemish, and the Dutch briefly occupied the city in the early years of the 1700s. Nonetheless, Lille had been governed by France for several decades by the outbreak of the French Revolution, and following the Revolution, Lille grew, becoming the county seat of Nord in 1804.
Formal Foundation of Nord
Although the areas of Nord were ruled by many kingdoms of Europe throughout the history of the areas, the areas had fallen under French control by the time of that country’s 18th century revolution.
Nord became one of the original 83 departments created by France in March 1790, and throughout the industrialization of the 19th century, Nord prospered, largely through coal mining and textile manufacturing.
20th Century Nord
In part, due to its border location, Nord greatly suffered during both World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) and the area experienced further difficulties due to the decline in coal mining.
Nonetheless, today, Nord is the most populated department of France, and its principal city of Lille remains a popular tourist location.
