法蘭區在麻州的劍橋與康柯市成長，也在那裡認識了另一位康柯市的居民：路易莎‧梅‧愛爾考特 (Louisa May Alcott，也就是小婦人的作者) 。愛爾考特鼓勵法蘭區追求成為一個藝術家的夢想。法蘭區後來在波士頓與紐約唸書，並且在1875年完成了「義勇兵」的雕像，得到第一筆收入。「義勇兵」的雕像豎立在麻州康柯市的「綠地」之上，是為了紀念那些在獨立革命戰爭期間，在來欣頓與康柯市戰爭中應戰的民兵。因為這是美國一個有名的象徵，因此在第二次世界大戰期間，「義勇兵」的圖像也出現在政府公債、郵票，以及海報的上頭。

Brought up in Cambridge and Concord, Massachusetts, French met fellow Concord resident Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women), who encouraged young French to pursue a career as an artist. He studied in Boston and New York before receiving his first commission for the 1875 statue The Minute Man. It stands on the "green" in Concord, Massachusetts, to commemorate the battle of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War. A famous symbol of America, images of The Minute Man appeared on defense bonds, stamps, and posters during World War II.

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