Remembering 250 Years Since The Battle of Quebec

Noah Note

250 years ago tonight, amidst a blinding New Year’s Eve blizzard, the course of North American history was permanently altered on the streets of Quebec City.

In June of 1775, the Thirteen Colonies launched a two-pronged invasion of Quebec. Under the command of Generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold, the Americans had hoped to bring Quebec into the folds of Revolution.

By the winter of 1775, the Continental Army seemed unstoppable. Montreal had already fallen to General Montgomery with barely a shot fired. The British grip on the province was slipping, and the American forces pushed onward, converging on the final stronghold of Quebec City.

In the early hours of December 31st, under the cover of the raging blizzard, Montgomery joined forces with Arnold to launch a desperate assault on the fortified city. The stakes were absolute. It was Now or Never, and the fate of Québec’s future hung in the balance.

But the assault ended in disaster for the Americans. Montgomery was killed, Arnold was wounded, and the British defenders held the line. That chaotic night effectively ended the threat of American conquest.

In the grand scheme of time, events like the Battle of Quebec often risk fading into the void, overshadowed by the larger, louder narratives of the American Revolution, or even the rest of Canadian history as a whole.

It is easy for such things to become just a footnote in a textbook, a forgotten skirmish in a blizzard. Yet to let these memories fade is to ignore some of the most pivotal moments that defined the course for Canada’s future as a nation.

Commemorating these anniversaries is an act of resisting that slow march to forgetting. It reminds us of the incredibly fragile threads that bind our history together. It forces us to realize that the existence of our two, distinct nations that call this continent home was not inevitable; it was decided by the people, the efforts, and the decisions made on nights like those in 1775.

Sharing these stories matter because it grounds us. When we talk about events like the Invasion of Quebec, the Rebellions of 1837/1838, or the more political and mundane events like the Pacific Scandal, we are acknowledging the layers of sacrifice and struggle that built the ground we walk on. It connects us to the people whose choices, aspirations, and actions shaped the modern nation of Canada.

So, on this anniversary, we remember to honor and share the stories of the fallen, to appreciate the distinct heritage that survived that night. By telling these stories, we ensure that the courage and the consequences of that New Year’s Eve are never lost to the sands of time.

If you’re curious about the event itself, Extra History has a cute, easily digestible mini-series outlining the invasion. If you’re a reader, there’s also Quebec 1775: The American Invasion of Canada by Brendan Morrissey that, while I have not read it yet, I hear is excellent.

Je me souviens.