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This 1840 work depicts British soldiers resting on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City, near a monument dedicated to General James Wolfe, who was killed during the capture of Québec City. The British army’s 1759 victory put an end to New France. Erected on the spot where the general died, the column was long one of the city’s most popular commemorative sites for English-speaking residents.
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!

Plains of Abraham, Québec City

Robert Wallis, after William Henry Bartlett This 1840 work depicts British soldiers resting on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City, near a monument dedicated to General James Wolfe, who was killed during the capture of Québec City. The British army’s 1759 victory put an end to New France. Erected on the spot where the general died, the column was long one of the city’s most popular commemorative sites for English-speaking residents.
Chronoscope What do you notice in the image? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1840