Chapter 5—War & Peace

1. Chapter 5—War & Peace Social Studies 7

2. Background to War

3. Background to War • The Great Deportation (1755) saw all Acadians removed from land they had inhabited for generations before British control. The British felt that they had no choice in deporting those Acadians who had failed to swear loyalty because they might act against the British in the coming war. • Both British and French forces began militarizing—stockpiling weapons, gunpowder, building defensive structures, increasing number of soldiers, etc.—to prepare for armed conflict. The Seven Years’ war then began in 1756.

4. The Struggle for Canada • The first large-scale British attack in North America was on Louisburg, a French military fort on Cape Breton Island, at the very mouth of the St. Lawrence River. • The British laid siege to the city: they cut Louisburg off from reinforcements and resources by both land and sea. The city surrendered to the British after seven weeks of siege. • Britain now had clear water access to the French stronghold at Quebec. In 1759, Major-General James Wolfe led a large campaign up the St. Lawrence. Wolfe’s plan was to draw the French out into open battle, knowing that siege warfare would not work in Quebec.

5. The Struggle for Canada • Marquis de Montcalm, commander of Quebec’s military, planned to wait out the British attack. Between the combination of the city’s well-fortified walls, the natural feature of the high cliffs by the river, and the strategic placement of cannons, Montcalm felt that the city could easily be defended. His plan for victory was to wait out the British attack until winter came—knowing that Wolfe’s forces would either have to leave before the ice froze, or become sitting ducks. • The two forces fired on one another with cannon fire for almost two months. Though the city had taken much damage (and several British ships had been sunk), neither side would submit. As winter approached, Wolfe, knew he had to act.

6. On the Plains of Abraham • On September 12 1759, Wolfe’s forces scaled the steep cliff leading up to the Plains of Abraham on the edge of the settlement. • The British numbered at approximately 4400, while Montcalm had over 6000 soldiers (including 300 Odawa allies). Montcalm made the decision to leave the protection of the high walls and meet the British in battle. Both generals were killed in the short battle that followed, in which over 1300 were killed in under 15 minutes. The French fled and surrendered, and the British entered the city. • Surviving French fled to Montreal, and held out until September 8 1760, when Britain was able to conquer New France.

9. Conflict Continues • The Odawa and several other First Nations fought against the British in the region, and continued the conflict even after French surrender. Even after the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763, when all conflicts between British and French had ceased, the Odawa still fought against the British. • Led by Chief Pontiac, the Odawa and several other nations mounted a fairly successful military campaign, laying siege to and capturing several British forts in the Great Lakes Region. • Pontiac was counting on military support from the French—considering he had done the same for them on the Plains of Abraham—but the French would not help. When British reinforcements eventually arrived, Pontiac’s forces were defeated.

10. After the War • After signing the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain and France agreed to come to peace in Europe and North America. The treaty… • gave control of almost all of New France (Quebec, Montreal, Louisiana, and everything in between) to the British • maintained French control over Ile. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • granted Guadeloupe, a British territory in the Caribbean, to the French • Now that the British officially controlled most of North America, they were forced to establish rule and government over a potentially hostile or uncooperative population (that didn’t even speak the same language!)

12. After the War • The British felt that they had three choices about how to handle the French in the region: • 1. Like the Acadians, the British could forcibly remove the Canadiens from their homes and land • 2. They could force the Canadiens to give up their lifestyle, language, religion and identity and become entirely British • 3. They could leave the Canadiens alone, and grant them the freedom to speak French, maintain their religion, and keep their lifestyle while still remaining under British rule • The British also had to consider what to do with the previously hostile First Nations groups in the region, as well as how to manage the wants of the New England colonists that had helped the British war effort.

13. After the War • The Royal Proclamation of 1763—signed by King George III, it outlined Britain’s plans for managing and governing the territory formerly known as New France. The Act… • brought British laws and structures to Quebec—a new leadership council was created with a British governor • encouraged settlement in Quebec by Americans from the Thirteen Colonies by restricting settlement westward across the Appalachians • set aside a large tract of land in the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley region for First Nations groups. • Restricted the power of the Catholic Church—removal of the tithe, Catholics unable to hold senior government positions

14. After the War • The Quebec Act of 1774—created to satisfy the French population in the region, necessary because Americans in the Thirteen Colonies were showing dissatisfaction and defiance to British rule. Under the Act, • Quebec moved from a city to a colony, and gained a great deal of territory and limited independence • Land previously granted to First Nations became part of Quebec • The role of the Catholic Church was restored, allowing Catholics to hold property and senior positions, restoral of the tithe • Official recognition of French language rights • The Quebec Act was the first law passed that made what would later be Canada officially bilingual—official recognition of both English and French