SEVEN YEARS WAR

JAMES WOLFE

• Career in military• Often ill (perhaps

TB)• Did not get along

with his officers• Success at

Louisbourg made him a national hero in England

WILLIAM PITT

• British Prime Minister• Strong supporter of

empire• Picked Wolfe as

Brigadier for attack on Louisbourg & to lead attack on Quebec

LOUIS-JOSEPH MONTCALM• French noble• Not wealthy• Chosen to lead in

New France because no one else wanted to• Did not trust colonial

troops, militia or native allies• Did not fit in with

New France leaders

SEVEN YEARS WAR BEGINS

• War didn’t officially begin until 1756 in Europe• Fighting between FRANCE & GB started in

1754 in the Ohio Valley at Fort Duquesne & Fort Necessity• Virginia Gov. Dinwiddie ordered Major

George Washington to attack small group of French but was defeated

REINFORCEMENTS SENT

• With reinforcements, British launched 4-pronged attack: Fort Beauséjour, Lake Champlain, Niagara and Fort Duquesne on Ohio River• except for Ft. Beausejour, British attacks were

failures• guerilla-style fighting of French and Natives

better than British set battle

THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE

• 1756 Marquis de Montcalm arrived as French military commander• Gov. Vaudreuil planned to keep British on

defensive away from French settlements• Two leaders often disagreed on strategy• 1757 Montcalm led victories around Great

Lakes

THE TIDE TURNS

• 1758 Fort Frontenac (Kingston) was burned by British• British captured Louisbourg and

Guadeloupe in Caribbean• Native allies signed peace treaty with

British• French gov’t refused to send more troops• hoped they would defeat Britain in Europe

THE CONQUEST OF QUEBEC

• 1759 British Army under Wolfe moved on Quebec• 9 week siege; 20,000 cannonballs fired•Wolfe delayed attack

CONQUEST OF QUEBEC (CONT.)

• 13 Sept. Wolfe led British troops to Plains of Abraham near Quebec• drew Montcalm out to fight in open field• battle lasted 10 minutes• Wolfe died on the battlefield• Montcalm mortally wounded• French defeated & surrendered Quebec

City

THE AFTERMATH

• French leaders retreated to Montreal• In spring 1760, British ships were first to

arrive• 8 Sept. Montreal surrendered• 1763 Treaty of Paris gave Canada to Britain• France received 2 islands: St. Pierre &

Miquelon• Guadeloupe returned to French• French gave Louisiana to Spain

REASONS FOR BRITISH VICTORY?

•Military strength•Support of mother country• Infighting in leadership •Military errors