Skip to main content
The Marquis de Montcalm stands proudly on his horse at the head of French troops on the Plains of Abraham. In the summer of 1759, Montcalm defended the town besieged by 10,000 British soldiers. Though Montcalm had 13,000 men, his army consisted mainly of inexperienced militiamen. The battle determined the fate of New France.
1759 - 1759

France and Great Britain wage war

In 1759, the struggle between France and Great Britain to control North America came to a head. That year, New France—a territory then covering almost two thirds of the continent—fell under British rule. The event took place on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City, where the armies of generals James Wolfe and Louis-Joseph de Montcalm skirmished on the morning of September 13. Though both generals died in battle, the British were victorious by the end of the confrontation. A chapter in history had come to an end. New France was no more, and its territory had become part of the British Empire.

Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham, 1759

Arthur H. Hider The Marquis de Montcalm stands proudly on his horse at the head of French troops on the Plains of Abraham. In the summer of 1759, Montcalm defended the town besieged by 10,000 British soldiers. Though Montcalm had 13,000 men, his army consisted mainly of inexperienced militiamen. The battle determined the fate of New France.
Chronoscope What do you notice in the image? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: circa 1920