On this day, British troops under the command of General James Wolfe outmanoeuvred and defeated the French troops under the command of General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec. The one-hour battle, which came at the end of a three-month siege by the British, proved to be a decisive turning point in the Seven Years’ War. The battle took place on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin (hence the name of the battle). The combination of surprise, innovative military tactics, better-trained troops, and a certain degree of good luck, gave Wolfe the advantage that he needed and the French were quickly forced to retreat and abandon Quebec. The decisive success of the British forces became part of what was known in Great Britain as the ‘Annus Mirabilis’ of 1759. Both Wolfe and Montcalm died in the battle.
Read Bob Lynn’s reflections “Theatre of War”
about the Seven Years’ War HERE
