New France 1744-1760: The Last Phase

by George F.G. Stanley

Volume V of the Canadian Centenary Series

Now available as e-books for the first time, the Canadian Centenary Series is a comprehensive nineteen-volume history of the peoples and lands which form Canada. Although the series is designed as a unified whole so that no part of the story is left untold, each volume is complete in itself.

In this stirring account of the last phase of the struggle between France and England for supremacy in America, from 1744 when the War of the Austrian Succession spread into the New World until the fall of New France in 1760, Professor George Stanley shows that for the French who lived in North America the issue was not political or ideological but economic: they laboured and fought not primarily for the glory of France but for their homes, their lands, and their trade. Making brilliant use of eye-witness accounts, the author brings to life the complex military campaigns of the period and depicts with great skill the characters of the leading figures, including finally Montcalm, the European military man par excellence, ill at ease in North American warfare; Vaudreuil, the Governor, with his passionate interest in the Canadian aspect of French imperialism; Bigot, the Intendant, efficient and worldly, betraying his office by privately trading in food, specie, and wine; and the tenacious habitant of New France who, as his name implies, was neither a peasant in the Old-World sense nor a colonist in the French imperial sense. Here also are the methodical Amherst, patiently concerning himself with logistics, and the impetuous Wolfe, single-minded in his desire for the capture of Quebec. 

First published in 1968, Professor Stanley’s important contribution to the Canadian Centenary Series is available here as an e-book for the first time.

Genres: Canada

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

George Francis Gilman Stanley was a historian, author, soldier, teacher, public servant, and designer of the current Canadian flag.

Reviews

[Ronald Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic work of Canadian history. What I like about the old school Canadian historians is that they knew how to tell a story. The book is impeccably researched and sourced, informative and entertaining. Covering the last decade and a half of New France, leading up to the fall of Quebec in 1759 and the capitulation of New France the following year, the book concentrates on the military campaigns and diplomatic efforts of the period. While there is a chapter on social conditions in New France, there is very little on the commercial or agricultural state of the colony. This is arguably a weakness, particularly compared to the earlier books in the series. This weakness is not surprising considering that George Stanley was primarily a political historian and that he was asked to write this volume under less than desirable circumstances (It seems that he was asked to write the book with a very tight deadline at the last minute when a previous agreement had fallen through, more time may have resulted in a more comprehensive account). All told, however, the weakness is a slight one. The book was written more than 50 years ago and is, naturally, getting quite dated in terms of sources and conclusions. However, all students of Canadian history should read this volume and the rest of the series. If anything, it shows that it is possibly to write engaging works of history that are narrative, interesting and scholarly.