Skip to main content
Although the eye is first drawn to the boats on the shores of the St. Lawrence, the true feature of this piece is the Citadel of Québec. This fort was built on the summit of Cape Diamant between 1820 and 1831 according to plans by engineer Elias Walker Durnford. It was the largest military structure of its kind in North America at the time.
1840 - 1873

Changing of the guard in Québec City

After the American revolutionaries’ 1775 attack on Québec City, the British authorities reinforced their military presence in the city. Considered to be a strategic site to defend, Québec City was home to large British garrisons. For decades, the daily lives of the city’s residents were marked by this heavy military presence. Things changed, however, with the signing of the Treaty of Washington on May 8, 1871, which settled several disputes between Britain and the United States. An era of peaceful political relations began, and most of the British garrisons left Québec City with a grand ceremony. Relive the events through the period’s artworks!

Distant view of the Citadel of Québec

John Richard Coke Smyth Although the eye is first drawn to the boats on the shores of the St. Lawrence, the true feature of this piece is the Citadel of Québec. This fort was built on the summit of Cape Diamant between 1820 and 1831 according to plans by engineer Elias Walker Durnford. It was the largest military structure of its kind in North America at the time.
Chronoscope Which archival categories does this image belong to? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Acc. No. R13133-288 - Date: 1840