Horton High School's Canadian
History 12 Web Page and Student
Resource
Chapter Eight: Anglo-French
Conflicts in the New World
from 1689 to 1760, the English colonies
and New France went to war on numerous occasions. New France had three
main weaknesses when compared to the English: the English outnumbered them
20:1; the economy could not sustain itself with a long war; and the agricultural
sector would be hard hit by sending Habitants off to fight.
the French did, however, have many
strengths. They had a strong political leadership with the Governor and
Intendant, excellent natural defences with the Appalachians to the South
and the rivers which were excellent for hemming in enemy advances, as well
as strong alliances with the native peoples. The Iroquois were experts
in guerrilla warfare, while the Algonkians also allied with the French,
as the English had a reputation of treating the Natives poorly. The English
were also not united in their cause against the French. Many of the 13
Colonies disagreed on issues. Those from Massachusetts and New York saw
the French threat as real, while others, such as the Carolinas, had their
own problems.
the French also seemed to have luck
on their sides. In 1690, Sir William Phips of Massachusetts sailed with
a large fleet towards Quebec. He took Port Royal, yet while on his way
to Quebec, Phips’ fleet fell victim to smallpox and bad winds, forcing
the large fleet to return home.
1702-1711 - numerous skirmishes between
the English and French, culminating with the 1711 Walker expedition. Walker,
a general, led a 5300 troop land army, by sea, towards Quebec. Bad winds
met them on the St. Lawrence, sending close to 1000 men to their deaths.
Walker returned home, without getting within sight of Quebec.
1713 - Treaty of Utrecht - ended
the war in Europe and, consequently, in the New World as well. In New France,
the French failed to lose a battle, yet were forced to give up territories
due to the French losses on the Continent. Gave up Nova Scotia [Acadie],
Newfoundland and the British were given "control" of the Iroquois Confederacy.
the French in North America solidified
their holding along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers, and prepared
for another conflict with the English. Although they were forced to abandon
Acadie [now Nova Scotia], the French retained Cape Breton, and on this
island they began construction on a massive walled city at Louisbourg.
This was completed in 1717 - served as an important trade and fishing port,
as well as an excellent lookout and military installation. It became the
4th busiest port in North America, behind Boston, New York and Charleston.
The French also constructed numerous river forts to protect the larger
settlements. Vaudreuil saw to the construction of these.
1744 - Governor William Shirley of
Massachusetts, seeing the importance of taking New France, led an expedition
of 4000 militia to take Louisbourg. The English blasted away at the fort
for seven weeks, and with no help coming from France, the fort fell. This
now exposed the St. Lawrence to an English invasion. This window of opportunity
closed, as many English troops were needed for European battles, namely
the conflict with the Scottish and Bonnie Prince Charlie and the ensuing
battle at Culloden in 1745.
1746 - the French counter-attacked
at Louisbourg, determined to take back what was theirs. Before they could
attack, the French were hit with smallpox, killing 2000 of the 7000 man
force. They were forced to return home to France and Quebec.
In the Ohio Valley, the French sent
in forces to prevent a rear attack on Quebec. The English responded by
sending a young officer, George Washington, into Ohio to push out the French.
He was successful in pushing them out, but at a heavy cost in manpower.
1756-1763 - Seven Years War in Europe,
called the "French Indian Wars" in North America, were critical in Canada’s
eventual development. New France had a population of 55,000 by 1755, compared
to over a million in the 13 Colonies. From 1754-1757, however, the English
had little success in making headway against the French, save for in Nova
Scotia, where the Acadians were expelled in 1755 [to be discussed later].
The French countered with border raids
which served to hinder the English advances. Vaudreuil, as governor, came
into disagreement with his military commander, the Marquis de Montcalm.
The governor wanted to continue offensive raids, while Montcalm wanted
to remain defensive by solidifying the St. Lawrence.
