Battle of Quebec (1775)
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For the 1759 British victory over the French in the Seven Years War, see Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
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| Battle of Quebec | |||||||||||||||||
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| Conflict | American Revolutionary War | ||||||||||||||||
| Date | December 30 - 31, 1775 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place | Quebec City | ||||||||||||||||
| Result | Decisive British victory | ||||||||||||||||
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The Battle of Quebec was an attempt on December 31, 1775 by American revolutionaries to capture the Canadian city of Quebec and enlist Canadian support for the Revolutionary War. Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery were the two primary American commanders in the assault, which failed. The battle put an end to any hopes of Canada rising in rebellion with the Americans.
See also: Arnold Expedition
Events
Seeking to draw Canada into the revolution, American commanders set out to seize the city of Quebec, which was held by a small garrison of 100 British regulars under the command of Guy Carleton, the Governor of Canada, and Col. Allen Maclean. The British were supported by hundreds of poorly-armed militia, using mostly muskets and a few bayonets; city fortifications were in disrepair and supplanted by wooden barricades erected within the urban districts.
Two expeditions were launched toward Quebec. Brigadier General Montgomery came up via Lake Champlain; General Benedict Arnold took his armies through the backcountry of Maine. Meanwhile, General Washington maneuvered his armies to block the British from sending reinforcements north. In late October 1775, the American forces came within view of the City of Quebec. In November 1775, Arnold took his forces across the St. Lawrence River onto the Plains of Abraham, where he summoned the city's garrison to come out and fight. (During the Seven Years War, Gen. Montcalm had done so, and was defeated.) Getting no response, Arnold attacked at night, but his forces were beaten back; many were captured, making a repeat assault impossible. With this British victory the Americans left Canada and there was never another serious attempt to bring Canadians into the American Revolution against the British.
References:
- History of the British Army by Sir John Fortescue
- The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward
External links
- Siege of Quebec and Death of General Montgomery (http://www.generalatomic.com/AmericanHistory/siege_quebec.html)
- Battle of Quebec (http://theamericanrevolution.org/battles/bat_queb.asp) - TheAmericanRevolution.orgTemplate:US-hist-stubTemplate:Hist-stub