French and Indian War Battle of Quebec (1759)

The Battle of Quebec was fought September 13, 1759, during the French Indian War (1754-1763). Arriving at Quebec in June 1759, British forces under Major General James Wolfe commenced a campaign to to capture the city. These operations culminated with the British crossing the St. Lawrence River at Anse-au-Foulon on the night of September 12/13 and establishing a position on the Plains of Abraham. Moving to expel the British, French forces were beaten the next day and the city ultimately fell. The triumph at Quebec was a pivotal victory that gave the British supremacy in North America. The Battle of Quebec became part of Britains Annus Mirabilis (Year of Wonders) that saw it win victories against the French in all theaters of the war. Background Following the successful capture of Louisbourg in 1758, British leaders began planning for a strike against Quebec the next year. After assembling a force at Louisbourg under Major General James Wolfe and Admiral Sir Charles Saunders, the expedition arrived off Quebec in early June 1759. The direction of the attack caught the French commander, the Marquis de Montcalm, by surprise as he had anticipated a British thrust from the west or south. Assembling his forces, Montcalm began building a system of fortifications along the north shore of the St. Lawrence and placed bulk of his army east of the city at Beauport. Establishing his army on the Ile dOrlà ©ans and the south shore at Point Levis, Wolfe began a bombardment of the city and ran ships past its batteries to reconnoiter for landing places upstream. Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. Photograph Source: Public Domain First Actions On July 31, Wolfe attacked Montcalm at Beauport but was repulsed with heavy losses. Stymied, Wolfe began to focus on landing to west of the city. While British ships raided upstream and threatened Montcalms supply lines to Montreal, the French leader was forced to disperse his army along the north shore to prevent Wolfe from crossing. Battle of Quebec (1759) Conflict: French Indian War (1754-1763)Date: September 13, 1759Armies CommandersBritishMajor General James Wolfe4,400 men engaged, 8,000 around QuebecFrenchMarquis de Montcalm4,500 engaged, 3,500 in QuebecCasualties:British: 58 killed, 596 wounded, and 3 missingFrench: around 200 killed and 1,200 wounded A New Plan The largest detachment, 3,000 men under Colonel Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, was sent upstream to Cap Rouge with orders to watch the river east back towards the city. Not believing that another assault at Beauport would be successful, Wolfe began planning a landing just beyond Pointe-aux-Trembles. This was cancelled due to poor weather and on September 10 he informed his commanders that he intended to cross at Anse-au-Foulon. A small cove southwest of the city, the landing beach at Anse-au-Foulon required British troops to come ashore and ascend a slope and small road to reach the Plains of Abraham above. The approach at Anse-au-Foulon was guarded by a militia detachment led Captain Louis Du Pont Duchambon de Vergor and numbered between 40-100 men. Though the Governor of Quebec, the Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal, was concerned about a landing in the area, Montcalm dismissed these fears believing that due to the severity of the slope a small detachment would be able to hold until help arrived. On the night of September 12, British warships moved to positions opposite Cap Rouge and Beauport to give the impression that Wolfe would be landing at two places. The British Landing Around midnight, Wolfes men embarked for Anse-au-Foulon. Their approach was aided by the fact that the French were expecting boats bringing provisions from Trois-Rivià ¨res. Nearing the landing beach, the British were challenged by a French sentry. A French-speaking Highland officer replied in flawless French and the alarm was not raised. Going ashore with forty men, Brigadier General James Murray signaled to Wolfe that it was clear to land the army. A detachment under Colonel William Howe (of future American Revolution fame) moved up the slope and captured Vergors camp. General Sir William Howe. Public Domain As the British were landing, a runner from Vergors camp reached Montcalm. Distracted by Saunders diversion off Beauport, Montcalm ignored this initial report. Finally coming to grips with the situation, Montcalm gathered his available forces and began moving west. While a more prudent course may have been to wait for Bougainvilles men to rejoin the army or least be in position to attack simultaneously, Montcalm wished to engage the British immediately before they could fortify and become established above Anse-au-Foulon. Plains of Abraham Forming in an open area known as the Plains of Abraham, Wolfes men turned towards the city with their right anchored on the river and their left on a wooded bluff overlooking the St. Charles River. Due to the length of his line, Wolfe was forced to deploy in two-deep ranks rather than the traditional three. Holding their position, units under Brigadier General George Townshend engaged in skirmishing with French militia and captured a gristmill. Under sporadic fire from the French, Wolfe ordered his men to lay down for protection. As Montcalms men formed for the attack, his three guns and Wolfes lone gun exchanged shots. Advancing to attack in columns, Montcalms lines became somewhat disorganized as they crossed the uneven terrain of the plain. Under strict orders to hold their fire until the French were within 30-35 yards, the British had double-charged their muskets with two balls. After absorbing two volleys from the French, the front rank opened fire in a volley that was compared to a cannon shot. Advancing a few paces, the second British line unleashed a similar volley shattering the French lines. Early in the battle, Wolfe was struck in the wrist. Bandaging the injury he continued, but was soon hit in the stomach and chest. Issuing his final orders, he died on the field. With the army retreating towards the city and the St. Charles River, the French militia continued to fire from the woods with the support of floating battery near the St. Charles River bridge. During the retreat, Montcalm was hit in the lower abdomen and thigh. Taken into the city, he died the next day. With the battle won, Townshend took command and gathered sufficient forces to block Bougainvilles approach from the west. Rather than attack with his fresh troops, the French colonel elected to retreat from the area. Aftermath The Battle of Quebec cost the British one of their best leaders as well as 58 killed, 596 wounded, and three missing. For the French, the losses included their leader and were around 200 killed and 1,200 wounded. With the battle won, the British quickly moved to lay siege to Quebec. On September 18 the commander of the Quebec garrison, Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Roch de Ramezay, surrendered the city to Townshend and Saunders. The following April, the Chevalier de Là ©vis, Montcalms replacement, defeated Murray outside the city at the Battle of Sainte-Foy. Lacking siege guns, the French were unable to retake the city. A hollow victory, the fate of New France had been sealed the previous November when a British fleet crushed the French at the Battle of Quiberon Bay. With the Royal Navy controlling the sea lanes, the French were unable to reinforce and re-supply their forces in North America. Cut off and facing growing numbers, Là ©vis was forced to surrender in September 1760, ceding Canada to Britain.

Essay about The Existence of God the Arguments of Locke...

Descartes believes that Gods existence is clear and distinct. God exists because the thought of God is derived from a completely clear and distinct idea from within his being (which he concedes is a thinking being). Having come from distinct thoughts, the idea of God can therefore never be considered a falsity. From this very distinct idea of God comes everything else that one grasps distinctly and clearly. He states, From the fact that I cannot think of God not existing, it follows that existence cannot be separated from God and thus that he actually exists. (298) The existence of God is something that cannot be separated, just as we cannot separate the idea of an ocean without sand. Descartes explains that man is a finite†¦show more content†¦Nothing can be added to that perfection. Only man has potential. God gets His existence only from Himself and owes such to no other being because He is the original cause of all things, including Himself. Man is the very proof that God exists. Because man is imbued with a thinking mind that realizes that he gets all his powers, best of all his thinking mind, from his idea of God, then it is impossible for man not to realize that what he perceives of God clearly and distinctly in his mind is a reality, and that reality is the existence of God, a perfect being who can never deceive because by His perfect Being, God is free of defects. God, as a perfect being, is incapable of fraud and deception, two things that are caused by defects. Gods existence is manifested in the way man is able to use his thinking powers to accept his limitations, and at the same time realize that someone greater than man has endowed man with the powers to think and discern clearly and distinctly the idea of a Supreme Being. John Locke starts off his treatise with the thesis that ideas spring from two fountainheads--sensation and reflection. 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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Free Essays

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas â€Å"Explain how characters transition from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers† Raul Duke and the Attorney also known as the main characters of the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas transition from headstrong and quirky characters to something that appears to be shell-shocked soldiers. The American Dream, a very common theme for every American, everyone wants to live it but few actually know what it is. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the American Dream put in action as Hunter S. We will write a custom essay sample on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thompson puts to the test his standard practice of living in excess and acting strangely enough to evade detection, with the attitude of someone who belongs where he is. Hunter S. Thompson manages to create a journalistic discovery that outlines the changes of an American legend. The characters transitioning from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers, these descriptions apply to both the characters, Raul Duke and his Samoan attorney who is never named, and the supporting characters, hotel bellhops and other static characters. Old elephants limp off to the hills to die; old Americans go out to the high way and drive themselves to death with huge cars†(18). This shows a perfect blend of aggressive journalism gone awry combined with great American willpower and ingenuity and is a landmark in the world of â€Å"counterculture† writing. At the beginning of the novel both Raul Duke and the attorney showed head strong and quir ky qualities. As your attorney†, that’s how the attorney always presented himself in front of people shows a very positive and headstrong personality because he isn’t afraid of showing who he is and it also represents how he loves his job since he always wanted to be referred as to the attorney. Another scene that shows both the attorney and Dr. Thompson upbeat personalities is their ride with the shark to Las Vegas. Off course they were high throughout the whole drive. That is also a reason why they felt so headstrong because it is believed that drugs made them feel more powerful. We are going to rip his lungs out! † said the attorney during the ride to Las Vegas. Also them getting the shark was one of the moments that got them so pumped up. Then there is a change in personality were both characters resemble shell-shocked soldiers. I believe these changes of transition originate from the drugs and their effects and that provokes them to become bipolar. One of the scenes that show this transition is the Vietnam flash and the hotel scene while Dr. Thompson and the attorney are in the elevator and the attorney becomes overly aggressive. This transition happens after their usage of drugs and alcohol and it is influenced by Hunter S. Thompson and his persona. The influence of Dr. Thompson’s novel he has had on American culture is almost countless. Every American writer with any sense of politics and social morality reads and looks up to the good doctor. Fear and Loathing marks a turning point in his style. The strange and often twisted mindset of these people creates, for the average readers, what seems like an alternate reality, a world which they have never before witnessed. Duke and his attorney seem like characters in some perverse drama although they are in fact, actual people. This is the effect the â€Å"sub culture† that is the subject matter. The reader can identify with the ordinary people in the novel such as hitchhiker, these people do not understand the rhyme or reason of the actions taken by the end of the book the reader, at least, has gleaned some sort of comprehension of this secret and sometimes frightening world of drug people. You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug especially when its waving a razor-sharp knife un your eyes†. This transition from headstrong and quirky to shell-shocked soldiers all occurs from the use of drugs and its effects. Thus, Hunter S. Thompson created these characters and their personalities as a representation of himself even though they are realistic people. How to cite Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Papers