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This map shows the siege of Québec by British troops led by Sir William Phips in October 1690. The English fleet is seen sailing up the St. Lawrence River to attack Québec City. The attempted invasion failed, however, in part because of Québec’s fortifications. Phips’s army was pushed back by Governor Frontenac’s cannons.
1613 - 1759

Québec City on the map!

After arriving from France with a small crew, Samuel de Champlain founded a modest settlement in 1608 in the area that would become Québec City. At the time, the site was home to about 30 French traders who came to exchange goods with the Indigenous locals. Québec then developed into a full-fledged city: the capital of New France. After the end of the French Regime in 1759, the town had a population of around 8,000. The streets and buildings kept multiplying! Cartographers have kept track of this growth over the years. We need your help to identify the contents of their maps!

Map of the 1690 British siege of Québec

Nicolas de Fer This map shows the siege of Québec by British troops led by Sir William Phips in October 1690. The English fleet is seen sailing up the St. Lawrence River to attack Québec City. The attempted invasion failed, however, in part because of Québec’s fortifications. Phips’s army was pushed back by Governor Frontenac’s cannons.
Chronoscope Can you name any of the buildings in this image? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1690