After the Plains of Abraham
Even though the British were victorious at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, and the French left North America after the Treaty of Paris in 1963, they still needed to establish peace with all the French people living in Canada. In 1774, the British passed the Quebec Act that gave the French people two important rights. First of all, the French were allowed to keep their faith in spite of the fact that the British Protestants were anti-Catholic. Second, the British permitted them to become members of the government and participate in the democratic process. Thus, the French could preserve their culture and have a say in what was going on in the country. The French-speaking Catholics who mainly inhabited the province of Quebec, were called Canadiens and habitants. Sir Guy Carleton, a governor of Quebec, was an activist who helped secure their rights.
Causes of the American Revolution
There were three main causes of the American Revolutionary war against the British. First, The Quebec Act angered the British Americans who disliked Catholics. Second, The Act also granted the French areas around The Ohio Valley. That made George Washington, the future leader of the rebellion, furious, as he couldn’t expand the American territory westward. Third, the British imposed a big tax on all the American colonies as a result of high cost of the Seven Year’s War. These frustrations led to an open war between the Americans (the inhabitants of what is now The United States) and the the British. The Americans wanted to get Canadians on board, so they created a campaign to get their support. Except for Quebec, where there was some support for the Americans (Governor Guy Carleton tried to gather an army, but failed), the Canadians remained loyal to the British.
The United Empire Loyalists
The Americans who didn’t want to take part in the American Revolution and wanted to remain loyal to the British were called the United Empire Loyalists. Instead of fighting the British, they preferred to move north to what are now the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia. Before the American Revolution over 40,000 Loyalists of various ethnic and religious groups came to Canada. A Mohawk Indian leaders, Joseph Brandt, brought thousands of Mohawk Indians with him to Canada. Additionally, over 3,000 black Loyalists came to Canada on the promise that they would be freed from slavery.
Invasion of Montreal and Quebec
The Americans attacked Canada from two sides.
In September 1775, Abel Richard Montgomery led the Americans to seize the forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, in the north of New York State, and Fort Chambly in Quebec. Montgomery had 1,700 soldiers. He captured Fort Saint-Jean, outside of Montreal in November and Montreal on November 28 without a fight. Thus, he forced governor Carleton to escape to Quebec.
At the same time, general Benedict Arnold brought 700 men through the Maine forest into Saint Lawrence River and to Quebec City. Arnold waited in Quebec until December when Montgomery came with additional 300 men. They attacked Quebec on December 31, during a snowstorm, from two sides. Arnold attacked from Lower Town and Montgomery from Upper Town. They were up against 1,800 British soldiers. Arnold was wounded in the foot and had to be taken away, and his soldiers later surrendered. Montgomery and his leading officers were killed in rifle fire on the other side of Lower Town.
All in all, 60 American soldiers were killed and 426 wounded in Quebec.
Siege and Retreat
General Arnold commanded the remaining troops to maintain siege during winter of 1775/76. However, with the spring coming and 4,000 British troops arriving in Quebec under British General, John Burgoyne, they finally surrendered. They left Montreal on May 9, 1776. The remaining troops were defeated in Trois-Riviere in June. The surviving soldiers went back to New York.
The American rebels misjudged the Canadian sentiment. They expected Canadians to pick up rifles and fight against the British, but people were mostly loyal to the British throne. Clergy and most merchants, as well as ordinary people, didn’t want to fight.
Burgoyne wanted to chase the Americans out of Canada, so he started an invasion close to lake Champlain in New York. He was defeated, however, at Saratoga on 17th October, 1777 during the first victorious battle for the Americans.
Revolutionary Actions in Nova Scotia
Since Nova Scotia was mainly Acadian (French), the sentiments of people were not always clear as to whether they would support Americans in the Revolution. The Provincial Assembly (the Government) voted for loyalty to the Crown, but secret town meetings supported the rebels in New England.
In 1776, a group of New England rebels and Nova Scotians made an attack on Fort Cumberland, trying to start a rebellion and seize the whole province. They were unsuccessful. The British troops arrived from Halifax and defeated the rebels.
The End of the American Revolution
Even though the Americans were unsuccessful at bringing the revolution to Canada, they won the war against the British. The British surrendered in October 1781. The Americans signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Two years later, the Treaty of Paris formally recognized United States of America as a separate country.
The Results of the American Revolution on Canada
As a result of the American Revolution, Canada gained a powerful neighbour to the south. The United States, a republic with democratic system of government, started to inspire a bit of suspicion in Canadians. Canada also gained an increase in population as 80,000 Loyalists migrated from the United States to Canada and settled mainly in Quebec and the Maritime provinces.
The American Revolution: a Snapshot
