The Fall of New France

1. The Fall of New France Characters, the political and military situations of each country, and the aftermath

2. Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal

3. Governor Vaudreuil • 61 years old in 1759 • First Canadian-born man to hold this position • Passionate in his defense of Quebec • Disagrees with Montcalm about everything – feels Montcalm is too passive • Prefers the “Indian-style” guerrilla tactics

4. Louis-Joseph, Le Marquis de Montcalm

5. Le Marquis de Montcalm • 47 years old in 1759 • French aristocrat – described as vain, dogmatic (strict, unbending) and tactless • Finds Vaudreuil “too Canadian” and plots to have him removed so he can take over his position. • If he can’t be governor, he wants to return to France as soon as possible

6. Defeatist – doesn’t see how Quebec can be saved. Plans to retreat to Louisiana and leave the settlers to the enemy. • Preferred European tactics – he had used them to great victories at Fort Oswego and Fort William Henry (French Indian Wars)

7. Major-General James Wolfe

8. Major-General James Wolfe • 32 years old in 1759 • Came up through the ranks (battlefield promotions), unlike his generals who purchased their commissions • His generals disliked him greatly – he got command because of his leadership in the battle for Fort Louisburg. As a result, his generals described him as insignificant and full of his own importance

9. Had a cruel streak – especially toward the French • In 1757, after being ordered to destroy the Acadian villages, he ordered, “all be burned”. • As for Quebec he wrote, “If for some reason we come to the conclusion that we have very little chance of conquering Quebec, I propose to bombard the city, destroy the crops, houses and animals, expedite as many Canadians as possible to Europe and leave behind me nothing but hunger and desolation…”

10. Military Situation – New France • Montcalm had 16,000 soldiers (regular and militia) at his disposal • French supply ships had been blocked by the British • A population of 70,000 Canadians to draw from

11. Military Situation - British • 200 ships, 8,000 regular soldiers, 15,000 militia (from the Thirteen Colonies) and marines (sailors trained as soldiers). • Could draw from a population of 1.5 million (Thirteen Colonies) • Had already taken Fort Louisburg in 1758

12. Political Situation – New France • The Bishop of New France (Mgr. de Pontraind) and Governor Vaudreuil wrote to King Louis XV to send troops to assist in the defense • Madame Pompadour, the king’s mistress advised against sending any more troops

13. Political Situation – New France • Montclam and Vaudreuil argued about everything, including how to defend the region • Montcalm, a hero of the French Indian Wars wanted to fight a defensive war – avoid direct confrontation • Vaudreuil was more aggressive – wanted to attack the English at every opportunity

14. Political Situation – British • Were losing the Seven Years War in France • Decided to take all of North America – hoped to distract the French into defending the colony, leaving fewer defenses in Europe • Sent ¼ of their entire fleet to accomplish the task • Wolfe was desperate for victory • Suffered from some sort of lung disease (needed treatment) • Wanted to retire, but his father had left him no money • Needed a “reward” or a pension from the king so as not to be a burden on anyone else • Kings don’t reward failure

15. Summer, 1759 • British ships sail up the St. Lawrence River • Convoy stretches 150 miles down the river • British kidnap 2 French-Canadian pilots and force the to navigate the fleet down the river • British establish a base of operations on Ile d’Orleans • British take the south side of the river – Pointe Levis • Establish cannons across the river from Quebec

16. June 28 – French response to British invasion force – send “fire Ships” at the fleet (unsuccessful) • July 13 – Siege begins – British begin bombarding Fort Quebec • 20,000 cannonballs hit the city • Fort 80% destroyed • Most civilians leave the city – flee to an abbey north of the city • One French officer declared, “We do not doubt that you will destroy the town, but we are determined that you shall never set foot within its walls.”

17. Montcalm refused to send his army to engage the British, so Wolfe presses the matter – decides to make one grand attack • July 31 – 4000 British soldiers attack Beauport and Montmorency Falls (same tactic that won him fame at Fort Louisbourg) • Well-entrenched French crush the British attack (shooting fish in a barrel) • Wolfe is humiliated by the defeat – decides to leave his mark by burning the countryside (23 villages and more than 1,400 farms burned), taking no prisoners

18. September – Wolfe needs to make one last, desperate attempt to engage in a final confrontation • Winter will set in soon, the fleet needs to leave the river soon or it will be rushed in freezing ice • If he fails now, he is too ill to return the following year, and unlikely to be appointed • Fears loss of pension, reward

19. Wolfe’s generals pressure him into planning one last attack near Beauport – plan to land 5,000 men 30 miles north of Quebec • Rain delays the launch and Wolfe changes his mind • Sept. 13 – Wolfe slips his troops past the French at Quebec, lands 4,441 just south of Quebec at Anse aux Foulon • Men scale the cliffs all night using a goat path; big ships move toward Beauport as a diversion • Wolfe is trying to tempt Montcalm into a European-style battle (Montcalm’s preferred method) • Wolfe has placed himself in a very bad position – forest on one side, cliffs on the other, Bougainville’s army to the west and Montcalm’s army at Beauport to the east

20. Montcalm takes the bait and meets Wolfe with the garrison of Quebec (4,000), deciding not to wait for the 5,000 men at Beauport (one hour away) or 2,000 men under Bougainville (three hours away) – unsure if this is the main attack (seems unlikely as it is so reckless), or if it is a diversion for another attack on Beauport • British army establishes a double line facing the fort (a triple line is usual, but Wolfe wants the psychological advantage – the French will be confronted with a line of red coats a mile wide)

21. The Canadiens and Natives harass the British from the bushes with sniper fire – gives Montcalm time to mobilize • British ordered to load two musket balls • 10:00 AM – French advance, fire two relatively ineffective volleys before they were in good range (40+ feet) – uncoordinated, confused • British return fire and advance for hand-to-hand combat • French flee back toward Quebec

22. Highlanders lead the way (“flying devils chasing us”) • Canadiens and Natives cover the retreating French • Both Montcalm and Wolfe mortally wounded during the battle 9Wolfe dies a few moments after hearing that the British took Quebec, Montcalm dies a day later knowing he has lost the fort and the colony) • Actual battle only lasts about 15 minutes • 1,300 soldiers died (a relatively even number on both sides)

23. Spring, 1760 • The French spend the winter in Montreal, training for an attempt to retake Fort Quebec • Both sides are freezing (no firewood, no fuel) and starving (the British burned all the crops the year before) • Early spring – French attack the British at Fort Quebec. Same armies, same territory

24. Battle lasts several hours, going back and forth (a windmill changes hands five times) • British retreat to the fortress • French surround Quebec – they are each hostage to the other • The winner of the confrontation will be determined by which country is first able to send supplies and reinforcements • Roughly two weeks later a ship appears on the river – no flag – they want to see whose flag is flying over the fortress before they reveal themselves

25. Upon seeing the British flag over the fort, the ship unfurls its flag – British • French are forced to retreat to Montreal • French burn their flags rather than be forced to surrender them to the British • French surrender, British now control almost all of North America • Major problem for the British – 65 – 80,000 French Catholics are now citizens of the Protestant British Empire

26. Reasons French Lost New France • Geography – single access to the colony via the St. Lawrence River – vulnerable to blockade • Economy of New France had been stilted – resulting in a small, dependent population • Size of the colony, coupled with the low population meant that there were very few people to defend a vast territory

27. Montcalm and Vaudreuil could not agree on anything – if they had worked together the outcome may have been different • Government officials were greedy – made huge profits on necessary wartime supplies • Montcalm made several tactical errors • British navy was tough, experienced and skillful • Even if the French had won this battle, the British were determined to take the colony – they would have come back with more soldiers, more battles would have occurred, more people would have died, and the British would have eventually won anyway