Louisbourg Report :: essays research papers

The Fortress Of Louisbourg   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all of North America, you will not find a more power fortress than Louisbourg. It was said to be indestructible, but was proven otherwise on a number of occasions. Established in 1713 and located on Northern Cape Breton Island, Louisbourg was not only a fortress but a major commercial center as well. Louisbourg was originally known as Port St. Louis, and its main purpose was protecting Quebec and Montreal by guarding the entrance to the St. Lawrence River against hostile ships. The other main job for Louisbourg was serving as a base for the cod fishing industry. French fishing ships could come to Louisbourg to unload their catch instead of taking it all the way back to France. This arrangement saved time and money and allowed the ships to catch more fish in a season, since they didn’t have to make the long trip back to France with each load. However, Louisbourg was also sending out raiding parties to attack New England villages along the coast. The New Englanders soon heard of the mutiny at Louisbourg, so the villages decided to fight back against this threat. In 1745, 4000 New Englanders, along with the Royal Navy, launched an attack against the fortress, but Louisbourg didn’t think them of as a threat. Louisbourg thought that the New Englanders wou ld not be able to launch a serious attack with any kind of heavy artillery, since they attacked the weak rear side, travelling over marshy, wooded areas to reach the fort. The people of Louisbourg were wrong, however, as the New Englanders did indeed manage to bring in artillery over the marshy terrain. Had Louisbourg attacked the New Englanders now with their entire garrison, the English may very well have turned and ran, but they chose to attack from within their walls with only muskets. This allowed the English to pound the fort with their cannons, as well as exchange musket fire with the French. Since the Royal Navy prevented the bringing in of supplies and reinforcements, Louisbourg was soon forced to surrender to the New Englanders, who banished the French back to France.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The War of the Austrian Succession, which began in 1940 in Europe, ended in 1948 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle. As part of this treaty, Cape Breton Island, along with Louisbourg, is returned to France, outraging the New Englanders who fought so hard to take it just 3 years earlier.