Siege of Quebec

The siege of Quebec starts much further back.  In class we prepared a timeline of New France and important events along the way. 

1607 - the first British colony at Jamestown

1608 - first wintering at Quebec by the French

France and Britian never really got along, and by the end of the 1600's were fighting over control of the fur trade, this meant that the colonies were fighting too

1713 - Treaty of Utrecht is signed, France gives up control of the areas around Hudsons Bay, NFL, and Acadia.  The Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island is also built by the French to keep the sea passage open and free.

1755 - Acadians are deported

1756 - 1763 the Seven Year War - Britian and France are fighting each other, each trying to take over the other's colonies.

1758 - general Wolfe captures Louisbourg for the British.

1759 - General Wolfe sailes up the St. Lawrence river and prevents supplies from reaching Quebec

That fall the Battle of the Plains of Abraham - it lasted 15 minutes, Wolfe and Montcolm (British) both die.  The British go on to capture Quebec 

1760 - spring - French try to recapture Quebec, driven back by British reinforcements

Sept. 1760 the British capture Montreal as well

This isn't recognized until 1763 - Treaty of Paris, the war is over and New France is now British

Britain has had a lot of expenses with all these battles and sieges.  The way they try to turn this around is through taxes and other rules imposed on the colonies.

The southern colonies do not like this at all

1760 - the British demolish Louisbourg

1774 - the Quebec Act is passed by the British parliament, it allows the French people to keep their religion, their land system, and civil law

The southern colonists didn't like all of this on top of the other things they weren't happy about

1774 - the first Continential Congress - an airing of grievances by the southern colonists

1775 - the beginning of the War of Independance

Dec of 1775 - the American Continential army attacks Quebec City.  This became the Americans first major defeat.  The Americans had captured Montreal in November, then moved onto Quebec.  The Americans maintained a blockade, but in the spring, British reinforcements arrived.  The Americans were defeated then.