Plains of Abraham | |
---|---|
Location | Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
Coordinates | 46°47′59″N71°13′15″W / 46.79972°N 71.22083°W |
Area | 98 ha (240 acres) [1] |
Established | 17 March 1908 |
Governing body | National Battlefields Commission (Canadian Crown) |
The Plains of Abraham (French : Plaines d'Abraham) is a historic area within the Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was established on 17 March 1908. The land is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place on 13 September 1759, but hundreds of acres of the fields became used for grazing, housing, and minor industrial structures. [2] Only in 1908 was the land ceded to Quebec City, though administered by the specifically created and federally-run National Battlefields Commission. The park is today used by 4 million visitors and tourists annually for sports, relaxation, outdoor concerts, and festivals.
The Plains of Abraham Museum serves as the park's information and reception centre. It features a multi-media exhibition about the siege of Quebec and the 1759 and 1760 battles of the Plains of Abraham. [3] Other displays feature the history of the site through archaeological artifacts found in the park. Open year-round and located at 835 Wilfrid-Laurier Avenue, the museum serves as the starting point for tours and includes a gift shop.
The plains are likely named after Abraham Martin (also known as L'Écossais) (1589–1664), a fisherman and river pilot called The Scot. Martin moved to Quebec City in 1635 with his wife Marguerite Langlois and received 32 acres (13 ha) of land divided between the lower town and promontory from the Company of New France. [4] Abraham's name appears in the toponymy of Quebec City at the time of the French regime, the deeds of the 17th and 18th centuries referring to the coast of Abraham, and a 1734 plan even precisely locating an Abraham Street. Later, the journals of the Chevalier de Levis and the Marquis de Montcalm referred to the Heights of Abraham, as did the diaries of British soldiers, who also employed the phrase Plains of Abraham. [5]
The park itself currently occupies an area approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long by 0.8 km (0.50 mi), [6] 98 hectares (240 acres) that extends westward from the Citadelle of Quebec and the walls of Quebec City along a plateau above the Saint Lawrence River, and forms a part of The Battlefields Park. An interpretive centre and walking trails have been built on the site, and monuments commemorate the Battle of Sainte-Foy and James Wolfe, the latter being an astronomic meridian marker raised in 1790 by the Surveyor-General of Canada, Major Holland, on the site where Wolfe was said to have died.
In 1913, the National Battlefields Commission placed a column identical to one that had been built on the site in 1849, and a replica Cross of Sacrifice was constructed on the plains to commemorate soldiers who were lost in World War I; it continues to be the location of Remembrance Day ceremonies every year. [7]
On September 13, 1759, the area was the scene of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, part of the French and Indian War (1754–63), which preceded, then became a theatre of, the Seven Years' War (1756–63). On that date, British soldiers under the command of General Wolfe, climbed the steep cliff under the city in darkness, surprising and defeating the French, through a single deadly volley of musket fire, causing the battle to be over within 30 minutes. Both Wolfe and the French commander, the Marquis de Montcalm, died of their wounds, but the battle left control of Quebec City to the British, eventually allowing them to take control of Canada the following year.
The plains thereafter remained nondescript fields, with only a monument to Wolfe as a reminder of the events that took place. As Quebec City grew, development of the plains took place unabated, and hundreds of acres were built over. [6] Only in 1901 did government intervention come, when the proposed subdivision of 88 acres (36 ha) of the area was halted by the purchase of the land by the Dominion Crown. At the same time, however, another area of the plains was taken and, despite public protest, covered by a Ross rifle factory, which included a water tank built upon an existing Martello tower. A movement to preserve the site continued, nonetheless, and by 1904, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec was permitted by the federal government to put up plaques at various significant spots around the vicinity. The following year, a proposal for the establishment of an Historic Landmarks Association was placed before the Royal Society of Canada and Governor General the Earl Grey initiated his plan to preserve the battlefields, having visited the site and stating that he "would never rest until such sacred ground became the heirloom of all Canada and the Empire." [8]
The Mayor of Quebec City, Jean-Georges Garneau, in 1908 appointed a landmark commission under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of the Quebec Superior Court François Langelier. Amongst its recommendations for permanently recording the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, the group called for a nationalization of the Quebec battlefields and the construction of a museum of Canadian history. The federal prime minister at the time, Wilfrid Laurier, suggested, however, that a preservation of the plains themselves would be a more fitting tribute, thus falling in line with the desires of the Earl Grey, who in January had travelled to Quebec to see whether the site could be dedicated as a part of the tercentenary celebrations. By 17 March, the park was created, becoming the first National Historic Site in Canada and was placed under the auspices of the newly and specifically formed National Battlefields Commission, [9] a group that, following the lead of Edward VII, began to collect historical data relating to the plains and the battles that took place on them. [10] Finally, on 24 July 1908, the King's eldest son, Prince George, Prince of Wales (later George V), dedicated the Quebec Battlefields Park at the Plains of Abraham, then presenting the title deeds of the lands to the Governor General. [11] The events were popular with Quebec residents, leading Laurier to opine that Quebecers were "monarchical by religion, by habit, and by the remembrance of past history." [12] The official memorial record of the anniversary was titled The King's Book of Quebec; with the assent of the King (by then George V), the volume was published in 1911. [13]
The site has become an urban park within Quebec City; the National Battlefields Commission has compared its use to that of Central Park in New York City and Hyde Park in London. It has thus seen various events staged on it, most regularly during the Fête nationale du Québec , the Quebec Winter Carnival, and the Quebec City Summer Festival.
On 10 September 1959, Canada Post issued Plains of Abraham, 1759–1959, designed by Ephrum Philip Weiss with a picture engraved by Yves Baril and lettering engraved by Donald J. Mitchell. The 5¢ stamps are perforated 12 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company. [14] [ full citation needed ]
The site is mentioned in the 1975 song "Acadian Driftwood", by The Band, as well as in the song "The Maker", by Daniel Lanois. Gordon Lightfoot mentions the site in "Nous Vivons Ensemble" (1971). Geddy Lee mentions the site in his song "My Favourite Headache" from his solo album of the same name (2000).
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War. The battle, which began on 13 September 1759, was fought on a plateau by the British Army and Royal Navy against the French Army, just outside the walls of Quebec City on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name of the battle. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops in total, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.
James Wolfe was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Montcalm de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War.
The Battle of Ticonderoga was a minor confrontation at Fort Carillon on July 26 and 27, 1759, during the French and Indian War. A British military force of more than 11,000 men under the command of General Sir Jeffery Amherst moved artillery to high ground overlooking the fort, which was defended by a garrison of 400 Frenchmen under the command of Brigadier General François-Charles de Bourlamaque.
Events from the year 1759 in Canada.
General James Murray was a Scottish army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Quebec from 1760 to 1768 and governor of Minorca from 1778 to 1782. Born in Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Murray travelled to North America and took part in the French and Indian War. After the conflict, his administration of the Province of Quebec was noted for its successes, being marked by positive relationships with French Canadians, who were reassured of the traditional rights and customs. Murray died in Battle, East Sussex in 1794.
Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnial, marquis de Vaudreuil was a Canadian-born colonial governor of French Canada in North America. He was governor of French Louisiana (1743–1753) and in 1755 became the last Governor-General of New France. In 1759 and 1760 the British conquered the colony in the Seven Years' War.
Candiac is a suburb of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec; it is located on the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite Montreal near La Prairie. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 22,997.
The Battle of Fort Niagara was a siege late in the French and Indian War, the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. The British siege of Fort Niagara in July 1759 was part of a campaign to remove French control of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, making possible a western invasion of the French province of Canada in conjunction with General James Wolfe's invasion to the east.
The Battle of Beauport, also known as the Battle of Montmorency, fought on 31 July 1759, was an important confrontation between the British and French armed forces during the Seven Years' War of the French province of Canada. The attack conducted by the British against the French defense line of Beauport, some 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of Quebec was checked, and the army of General James Wolfe retreated with 443 casualties and losses.
The Battlefields Park includes the Plains of Abraham with the nearby and smaller Des Braves park, both within the district of Montcalm in Quebec City, and forms one of the few Canadian national urban parks. Its significance lies in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759) and the Battle of Sainte-Foy, fought six months later on today's Des Braves park.
François-Gaston de Lévis, 1st Duke of Lévis, styled as the Chevalier de Lévis until 1785, was a French Royal Army officer and nobleman. He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession. During the Seven Years' War, he was second-in-command to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New France and then, after the surrender of New France in 1760, he served in Europe. After the war, he was appointed Governor of Artois, and in 1783 he was made a Marshal of France.
The Conquest of New France – the military Conquest of New France by Great Britain during the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763 – started with a British campaign in 1758 and ended with the region being put under a British military regime between 1760 and 1763. Britain's acquisition of Canada became official with the 1763 Treaty of Paris that concluded the Seven Years' War.
Sir Jean-Georges Garneau was a Canadian politician, the mayor of Quebec City from 1906 to 1910.
Anse au Foulon is a small cove in Quebec, Canada. It was located about one and one-half miles above Quebec City, in the formerly independent town of Sillery, until 1 January 2002, as part of the 2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec. Since that date, Anse au Foulon and Sillery have been officially located in Quebec City.
Parliament Hill is located in Quebec City in the borough of La Cité-Limoilou, specifically in districts of Vieux-Québec—Cap-Blanc—colline Parlementaire and Saint-Jean-Baptiste. In addition to the Parliament Building of Quebec, the Hill has a few shopping streets and residential areas and public green spaces. The hill on which it is located is the promontory of Quebec.
Quebec City's 400th anniversary, celebrated in 2008, commemorated the founding of Quebec City in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Quebec City is the oldest francophone city in North America. Along with Acadia, the city represents the birthplace of French America.
The Wolfe–Montcalm Monument is in Governors' Garden beyond the southern side of the Château Frontenac, Quebec. The obelisk is the oldest monument in Quebec City and the second-oldest war monument in Canada (1827). The mason who made the monument was John Phillips and the architect was Captain John Crawford Young of the 79th (Cameron) Highlanders. The monument commemorates the gallantry of the two generals, James Wolfe and Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, who fought in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham; it is one of very few monuments to the victor and the defeated in the same battle. The monument was unveiled in 1828 by Governor Dalhousie. The translation of the Latin on the monument, written by John Charlton Fisher reads "Their courage gave them a common death, history a common fame, posterity a common memorial."
The Siege of Quebec, also known as the Second Siege of Quebec, was a French attempt to retake Quebec City, in New France, which had been captured by Britain the previous year. The siege lasted from 29 April to 15 May, when British ships arrived to relieve the city and compelled the French commander, Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis, to break off the siege and to retreat.
Quebec 1759 is a board wargame published in 1972 by Gamma Two Games that simulates the Battle of the Plains of Abraham outside the walls of Quebec in 1759. The game uses wooden blocks set on their edge rather than the more traditional cardboard counters, unique for a wargame in 1972.