Invasion of Quebec (1775)

Overview

The Invasion of Quebec was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to seize the Province of Quebec from Great Britain, and persuade French-speaking Canadiens to join the revolution on the side of the Thirteen Colonies. One expedition left Fort Ticonderoga under Richard Montgomery, besieged and captured Fort Saint-Jean, and very nearly captured British General Guy Carleton when taking Montreal. The other expedition, under Benedict Arnold, left Cambridge, Massachusetts, and traveled with great difficulty through the wilderness of Maine to Quebec City. The two forces joined there, but were defeated at the Battle of Quebec in December 1775.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Invasion of Quebec was the first major military initiative undertaken by the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. The campaign pursued two strategic aims: seizing the Province of Quebec from British control and drawing French-speaking Canadiens into alliance with the Thirteen Colonies. One column under Richard Montgomery advanced from Fort Ticonderoga, besieging and capturing Fort Saint-Jean and taking Montreal, while a second column under Benedict Arnold traversed the Maine wilderness to converge on Quebec City. Despite these initial successes, the two forces were defeated at Quebec in December 1775. The failure foreclosed any prospect of Canada joining the revolution and left the northern frontier exposed, ultimately allowing Britain to use Quebec as a base from which to threaten the colonies from the north throughout the remainder of the war. The campaign also demonstrated the difficulty of projecting force over extended wilderness supply lines while relying on local populations that did not mobilize as anticipated.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (11)