The Fall of New France
How the French lost a North American empire 1754-1763
- Publisher
- James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
- Initial publish date
- May 2004
- Category
- General, Canada, Colonial Period (1600-1775)
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781550288407
- Publish Date
- May 2004
- List Price
- $19.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781552772089
- Publish Date
- May 2004
- List Price
- $19.99
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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 11
- Grade: 6
Description
Two great empires collided in North America in the 1750s when France and Great Britain (with the eager support of Britain's American colonies) contested control of the Ohio Valley and Nova Scotia. We live with the outcome of this conflict today. It set the stage for a bilingual Canada with an English majority, for the emergence of the independent United States, and for the long decline in influence and power of aboriginal nations.
In this handsome book extensively illustrated with paintings, sketches, and colour photographs of important sites and artifacts relating to the war, historian Ron Dale offers a narrative encompassing all sides of the conflict and important sites and fortifications. Key to his narrative are Acadia, Louisbourg, Quebec, Montreal, and military forts such as Fort George and Fort Niagara.
He also profiles key figures in the conflict. Best-known is British General James Wolfe, a daring hero of the campaigns in the Scottish highlands and Louisbourg's capture, but strangely petulant and indecisive in the face of Quebec's invincible fortifications. Wolfe lays waste to 1,400 farms and 23 villages along the St. Lawrence to show his displeasure. Inside Quebec's walls, the French General Louis-Joseph Montcalm argues bitterly with civilian leaders over tactics while despairing over the antics of Canada's home-grown aristocracy.
Reflecting the extensive recent work of historians in Canada and the U.S. who have learned much about the conflict and the combatants, this book demonstrates that the history of North America is far more interesting than it ever seemed to be in school.
About the author
RONALD J. DALE is a historian and the Superintendent of Niagara National Historic Sites, including Fort George and Brock's Monument. He is the author of Niagara-on-the-Lake: Its Heritage and Its Festival, The Invasion of Canada: Battles of the War of 1812, and The Fall of New France: How the French lost a North American empire 1754-1763.
Librarian Reviews
The Fall of New France: How the French Lost a North American Empire 1754-1763
The Fall of New France details the struggle between France and Great Britain for the control of what is now known as Atlantic Canada and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. This is an account of a very tumultuous period in North American history, which ended with France surrendering to the British in 1763, thus establishing the bilingual and bicultural nature of Canada. The skirmishes and battles that took place in the fight for control over the colonies are described in vivid detail, as is the involvement of the Aboriginal warriors.Historian Dale, also author of The Invasion of Canada: Battles of the war of 1812, is Superintendent of Niagara National Historical Sites.
Caution: Some graphic descriptions of battle.
Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2009-2010.
