The battle of the Plains of Abraham and the battle of Sainte-Foy in perception of changes of the North American theater of the fighting activities of the Seven Years War in 1759-1760

The author considers the problem of perception of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec and the Battle of Sainte-Foy. The aim of the study was to analyze the participation of French Canadians in the events of 1759-1760. The military confrontation in the colonies has been investigated in the general works on the history of the Seven Years War, such as, for example, the works of D. Marston, F. A. Szabo, F. Jennings, M. S. Ward, F. Anderson, W. M. Fowler, J. S. Corbett, M. Robson, D.P. MacLeod, R. Wright. The study shows that Franco-Canadians and allied Indian tribes took an active part in the colonial conflict of Great Britain and France and in the early stages provided an advantage to the French corps of General de Montcalm. The difference in numbers between the French and British troops was offset by a qualitative component. The British soldiers were well trained, and the French formations were represented by militias. It is worth mentioning the involvement of the local population in reconnaissance of the area and tracking the movement of the British contingent. The French colonists were able to quickly transmit important information through their communication channels, and in preparation for the battles they also provided significant assistance to the French regular troops. In particular, thanks to timely scout reports, the French command had information about the movements of the British, and the commander of the French forces concentrated forces to defend the line in northeast Quebec. From the start of the armed conflict, French Canadians were politically motivated and supported the French military in all respects. Also, the local Franco-Canadian population was an active participant in the colonial confrontation between Britain and France. Against the backdrop of a patriotic upsurge, Canadians constantly replenished regular French formations. They formed militia groups and volunteer groups that organized food deliveries to Quebec, preparing the city for defense, as well as escorting refugee groups from coastal settlements to Quebec and evacuating the civilian population of Quebec to Montreal on the eve of the British siege. The study showed that the transition of the local population to passive behavior occurred after the surrender of the Montreal garrison, which was accompanied by guarantees from the British military authorities about the inviolability of the property of civilians and the assertion of religious freedom. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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