Battle of the Plains of Abraham

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was a battle fought between French and British soldiers on September 13, 1759. It was part of the French and Indian War, which was part of the Seven Years' War.  

The battle took place on a plateau near the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec City, Canada. The plateau was on land once owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin and so the land is called the "Plains of Abraham." Each side had about 4500 troops in the battle. The French soldiers, led by Louis de Montcalm, wore blue uniforms. The British soldiers, led by James Wolfe, wore red uniforms. Both leaders were young men and died in the battle.

The French had a fort on the Plains of Abraham. Through rumors and spies, they knew the British were coming, but when the British arrived in June, the French were not prepared and did not have all their troops with them. Many of the French troops were not as well trained as the British troops. The British began a siege that lasted three months. On September 13, the French attacked, but the British held off the attack. Eventually, the British took control of the battle. The French surrendered on September 18.

The war continued in 1760, when the British took control of Montreal. New France was defeated, and Canada became controlled by the British, as was made official in the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In North America, however, France still controlled Louisiana, which never became part of the British Empire and became part of Spain.

Plains of Abraham
Category:18th century in Quebec
Category:1759
Category:Seven Years' War
Category:1750s in North America