From the open broadside of hostilities in 1775 between the ‘rebel’ patriots in America and British forces, the newly appointed American Congress became obsessed to gain Quebec, the fourteenth colony, within their fold either by diplomatic means or by force. Americans convinced themselves that the Canadians held the same passions close to heart that spurred revolt throughout the lower thirteen colonies. They were soon to be proven wrong. By a stroke of pure genius, England was able to keep French speaking, predominantly Catholic Quebec firmly within the Crown’s skirts of influence.
France, not England had settled the northern stretches of America, mostly through the rich St. Lawrence River region that included the Richelieu River that emptied Lake Champlain. Under Catholic France, Canadians had practiced religious freedoms and enjoyed the rights of land ownership along with elements of self-governance. They, along with the protestant minority, were favored with the same treatment under the law. This was not so in the lower thirteen colonies in which protestants were the majority and Catholics were subjected to limitations in both religion and government and often faced open hostility. When Protestant England obtained France after the Seven Year’s War (French & Indian War in America), there was fear throughout Quebec that their previous rights under France would be reduced. Catholics in Canada faced the possibility that their religion would be restricted, as their language, and that they would not have a voice in government – just like their Catholic brethren to the south. At first this was proven out.
English law that had dealt harshly with Catholics throughout the thirteen colonies was applied to Canada. However, by the time colonials to the south had rattled their swords and spoke of open hostility towards their mother country, it was already too late to find a throng of discontented Canadians to join in the fray. Though there were elements of discourse in Quebec over England’s strong-arming American finances and closing ports as well as levying additional revenue to help pay for the previous war, Canadians as a whole were comfortable under English governance. Many wanted to remain neutral to be left alone. They were primarily focused on provincial affairs which included more rights to its mainly catholic citizenry. As such, any incursion by protestant former British subjects onto Canadian soil, would be viewed as an invasion in which much of the Canadian citizenry would rally behind the British. This development that killed America’s chances to stretch her frontier to the St. Lawrence River and beyond can be contributed to one’s man’s foresight and influence in English politics at home.
In 1774, England would recognize the expanding rights of Catholics within the English government in Canada and put an end to any hope that Americans had to convince the majority of Canadians to join them. Much of the credit can be given to Governor General Guy Carleton’s masterful influence in seeing the passage of the 1774 Quebec Act. The act restored many of the province’s traditions under their former French government. It accepted the French language, provided roles for Canadiens in a governing council, and reestablished French Civil Law. The Roman Catholic Church was fully accepted within the province, which could be viewed as a benchmark “in the history of religious liberty.” The act also secured the far western fur trade territories far beyond the province’s borders. For a catholic and French Canadian, it was everything they could hope for. Why then would they throw in their lot with the predominantly protestant Americans whose laws and actions throughout New England continued to be blatantly anti-Catholic?
By the summer of 1775, force became the overriding factor to convince the Canadians to join the American rebellion. Congress approved of a two-prong invasion, one directly against Quebec through Maine headed by a colonial seaman, Colonel Benedict Arnold, and the other spearheading down Lake Champlain through the Richelieu River to Montreal commanded by former British officer General Richard Montgomery. After Montreal fell, the two forces would combine to take Quebec City. Though Montreal was taken, the American forces met defeat at Quebec City on Dec. 31, 1775, and Arnold established a siege of the city. This became mainly a waiting game as what forces Arnold had left had no teeth to continue the fight.
During the spring of 1776, General David Wooster had basically nailed the coffin shut on any American chance to win over Canadians to their way of thinking. Wooster, a staunch protestant New Englander, had no use for Catholics. He was given command of Montreal after Montgomery moved down river to attack Quebec City. He soon made a mess of things by levying draconian, anti-Catholic laws, closing down Catholic churches, confiscating properties, and taxing the local population to obtain money to help finance the American invasion. Not exactly gaining the hearts and minds of the people. With the invasion going sour and grumblings from Canadians seeping south to Philadelphia, Congress decided to hasten a three-man diplomatic mission north, led by none other than Benjamin Franklin. The elderly statesman was joined by Congressmen Charles Carroll and Samuel Chase. To sweeten the deal, two others were added, a patriot Catholic priest, Father John Carroll, and Fleury Mesplet, a French printer living in Philadelphia. They made the arduous early spring journey through winter conditions and arrived at Montreal on April 29, 1776. By then, there was no hope for damage control. When Franklin and the others were asked by the Montreal clergy why, if the Americans insisted on no taxation without representation, was Wooster able to heavily tax them without the local populace having a say, there was no acceptable answer. Wooster was soon sent south and the committee reopened the churches and abandoned the anti-Catholic legislation. But it was too late, public opinion had turned against them and there would be no Canadian support.
After English reinforcements arrived on May 6th, the ‘game was up’ and the Americans were driven back. Due to shortages in provisions, sickness, and miss management by leadership, the retreat soon became a rout. Even though the Americans were reinforced and made an attempt to stem the British tide moving up the St. Lawrence, the rebels proved no match for tested British steel. Once more the retreat became a rout and they were forced back to Crown Point and Ticonderoga, New York. What was left of the rebel forces began preparations for an expected British invasion down Lake Champlain. Carleton had to build boats and transport his fleet onto Lake Champlain, giving now General Arnold time to construct his own fleet and recruit additional men. The resulting Battle of Valcour Island, Oct. 11, 1776, halted Carlton’s advance south and set up the next year’s decisive Battle of Saratoga resulting in the loss of British General Johnny Burgoyne’s army.
As far as swelling the American army with legions of discontented Canadians, Americans only managed to recruit two regiments of Canadians. Congress issued retired British officer and American living in Canada, Colonel Moses Hazen, and another American residing in Canada, Colonel James Livingston, each to raise one thousand men. They were to be labeled the 1st and 2nd Canadian Regiments, “Congress Own”, as they were to have no official state affiliation and provisioned directly by Congress. At first, they had some success recruiting Canadians willing to risk all to join the American invasion. However, Hazen and Livingston soon fell far short of their goal of filling the ranks with Canadians. Livingston was only able to obtain 150 men while Hazen did better, with almost 500, but only after swelling the ranks by recruiting Americans throughout New England and the mid-states to join him. As the war progressed, Congress and particularly Benjamin Franklin would press for another invasion. Colonel Hazen also spent the entire war urging another invasion, mainly for personal financial reasons and to keep his promise to his fellow Canadians who had hoped to reclaim their lost lands. Two more attempts at organizing another thrust north would fail. Even at the conclusion of the war, in 1783, Benjamin Franklin still wanted to lay on the peace table the demand that England hand over Canada to the new United States. By then the writing was on the wall and nothing came of it.
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Also articles of interest on Revolutionary War Journal
Lt. John Mansfield of the Connecticut Line: Commanded the Forlorn Hope at the Battle of Yorktown
General Simon Fraser: England Lost an Army & Their Best Wilderness Warrior at Saratoga