The British Navy and the Siege of Quebec, 1775–6

Abstract

THE PERFORMANCE of the British army and navy in the war which ended in the loss of the American colonies has not generally been praised. One of the exceptions to the lackluster record is the defence of Quebec City in the winter of •775-6, and its relief in the following spring, in which the British navy played a particularly vital role. 1 By early November •775 invading American forces under General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnold had overrun almost the entire province of Quebec and were closing in upon the capital city itself. Governor Guy Carleton had been confident that the benefits of the newly passed Quebec Act would secure the loyalty of the bulk of the French Canadians, in spite of the growing restlessness in the Thirteen Colonies. Thus in the fall of •774 he had readily dispatched two regular battalions to reinforce General Thomas Gage at Boston, feeling sure that Canadian regiments could be easily raised? By the spring of •775 it was becoming evident that the expected support was not forthcoming, and in June the Continental Congress decided on a full-scale invasion of Canada. Carleton's situation became critical with