The Americans were mistaken.
Illustration is from Canada Invaded by George Stanley.

#hedidnotconquer #canada #history #books @dundurnpress.bsky.social

The Continental Congress told Montgomery that Providence would smile on his effort to bring liberty to “the deluded malignants” in the British colony. Arnold assured George Washington the Americans would easily defeat the “wretched motley garrison of disaffected seamen, marines, and inhabitants.”

Montgomery and Benedict Arnold had about 1,000 soldiers between them. They faced about 1,100 defenders, made up of 290 British regulars, 300 British militia, 480 French Canadian militia, 24 sailors, and 32 artillery men from Newfoundland.

Richard Montgomery, the rebel general, had already taken Montreal and Trois-Rivières. If the Americans took Quebec City, Canada would be theirs.

Avant Donald Trump en 2025, avant James Madison en 1812, Benjamin Franklin avait des visées sur le Canada. @mdrohan.bsky.social a écrit un livre sur la façon dont il en est venu à nourrir ce désir, comment il l’a rationalisé et pourquoi il a échoué dans ses tentatives d’annexion du Canada.

That same message applies today to the Canadian provinces and territories in the trade war with the United States. To borrow a phrase attributed to Franklin, if they don't hang together, they will all hang separately.

He was tired of the British American colonies squabbling among themselves about who would pay for defence and warned them they would lose their war against Canada or New France if they did not put their differences aside.

I was especially happy to meet Chris Kilford, branch president, in person. The CIC is lucky to have him steering their largest branch.

Special thanks to Munro’s Books for being there to sell copies of my book.

A special thanks to all the organizers, including Mark, Anne-Marie, Margaret, and Kim, for making it happen, and to Glen, for picking me up at the ferry!

Le 8 décembre, nous aurons le plaisir d'accueillir @mdrohan.bsky.social, chercheuse principale à l’École supérieure d’études publiques et internationales et auteure du livre He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin’s Failure to Annex Canada.

Pour en savoir plus >>> bit.ly/484Cf3g

Sadly not. There were other American spies active in Canada before them.

With Canada seemingly in his army’s reach in late November, Washington decided to take a second look at what could be done with Nova Scotia.

#hedidnotconquer #cdahistory #history #books #Halifax @dundurnpress.bsky.social

The Americans had invaded Canada in early September believing, based on bad intelligence, that the French Canadians would support the invasion and that Governor Guy Carleton was planning an attack. Montreal and Trois-Rivières had fallen. Only Quebec City was under British control.

Washington had rejected the idea of an invasion in August, saying that as Nova Scotia had not attacked the 13 colonies and no attack seemed imminent, invading it would be “a measure of conquest, rather than defence, and may be attended with very dangerous consequences.”