Date Published:
July 2005
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L’Encyclopédie
de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia
The
Seven Years' War in Canada
The
Seven Years' War is the name given to the final phase in the century-long
struggle between France and Great Britain for dominance in North America
and supremacy in the world. It is so named as war officially started
in 1756, and the peace treaty that resolved it was signed in 1763. In
reality, a state of war had existed in North America since 1754. The
war was of significance as the two great powers fought on land and sea
in nearly all parts of the world, invested huge amounts of money, material
and men in this conflict, to the point that they both emerged exhausted
from it, that the balance of power was tipped irretrievably in Britain's
favour, that the course of Canadian history was profoundldy altered
as the
Canadiens
were conquered and annexed to the British Empire. As such, this war
is the central event in Quebec history. In recognition of this fact,
in Canada it is simply called the
War of the Conquest
.
A
variety of sources are reproduced on this page; the reader should pay
particular attention to the source of each section. Links are also provided
to more contemporary studies. Canadian sources and documents on the
Seven Years' War are numerous. They sometimes display notable biases:
about the role of Amerindians and Americans in the war; about the respective
merits of the military commanders, especially of Montcalm and Wolfe;
about the conflict between Vaudreuil and Montcalm; about the British
policy toward Acadians; about the effects that the Conquest had on the
Canadiens and the reasons for the defeat of the French. There is a clear
chasm between French and English authors on several points.
This
map shows the respective geographical positions of the European
powers
in North America between 1755 and 1760, as the Seven Years' War is taking
place. As all historical maps, it interprets the situation. It puts
Fort Duquesne squarely into British territory, something the French
did not recognize at the time. It also extends the territory of Ruperts'
Land into western Canada where French Forts, established by La Vérendrye
and his sons, were in fact dominant. The reader should also keep in
mind that the Lake George area was intensely disputed at this time.
The
Events:
I.
A
Great Imperial War
.
II.
Hostilities
Before the War in North America
.
III.
The
Deportation of the Acadians.
IV.
1756:
the Declaration of War
V.
1757:
the Year of William Henry
VI.
William
Pitt Takes Over in England
.
VII.
1758:
The Fall of Louisbourg.
VIII.
1759:
The Decisive Year.
IX.
The
Siege of Quebec.
X.
The
Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
XI.
1760:
The Fall of New France.
The
Main Participants:
Abercrombie,
James
(d. 1775)
Abercrombie,
James
(1706-1781)
Amherst,
Jeffrey
, first Baron
Beaujeu,
Daniel Hyacinthe Liénard de
Bigot,
François
Bougainville,
Louis Antoine, comte de
Bourlamaque,
François-Charles de
Boscawen,
Edward
Braddock,
Edward
Burton,
Ralph
Cadet,
Joseph Michel
Carleton,
Guy
Contrecoeur,
Claude Pierre Pécaudy de
Cornwallis,
Edward
Dieskau,
Ludwig August, Baron
Dumas,
Jean Daniel
Gage,
Thomas
Johnson,
William
Jumonville,
Joseph Coulon de Villiers, Sieur de
Laglande,
Charles Michel de
Lawrence,
Charles
Lévis,
François Gaston, Duc de
Malartic,
Anne Joseph Hippolyte de Maurès, Comte de
Monckton,
Robert
Montcalm,
Louis- Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de
Murray,
James
Pitt,
William
Saunders,
Charles
Shirley,
William
Short,
Richard
Townshend,
George, Marquis
Vaudreuil,
Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de
Vergor,
Louis DuPont du Chambon, Sieur de
Washington,
George
Winslow,
John
Wolfe,
James
General
Information:
Bearn
Regiment
Crown
Point
Louisbourg
Monongahela,
battle of
Ticonderoga
The
Judgment of Historians:
[Under
construction]
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