The fate of North America was sealed on the Plains of Abraham in a battle that has gone down in history. France and England, historical enemies, faced off in September 1759 in the Capital of New France, Quebec. France then controlled large swaths of North America in three colonies with a total population of 80,000 people of European and mixed origin, while England’s influence was limited to the much more populous Thirteen Colonies along the Atlantic seaboard.

The story of that famous battle began much earlier. Tensions rose in early 18th-Century Europe. France lost Acadia to the British in 1713, who deported the Acadians in 1755. They then laid siege to Louisbourg, entry way to the Capital of New France. The lead up also included conflict in 1753 in Ohio between the English/American troops led by George Washington and “Canadien” and French troops, and the Jumonville Afffair in 1754.

New France was of tremendous strategic interest for France. Its military force included a standing army, a militia comprising troops raised among the “Canadiens” and many allied Indigenous nations, which explains why the Seven Years’ War is known in the United States as the “French and Indian War.” The English had naval superiority and could count on more numerous troops raised in North America.

This beautifully illustrated album casts new light on the events preceding the battles in 1759 and 1760, and their legacy following the Treaty of Paris of 1763.