Contribution of German Troops to the Defence of Canada during the American War of Independence (1776-1783) National Historic Event
Québec, Quebec
Address :
Plains of Abraham, Québec, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2007-06-08
Other Name(s):
-
Contribution of German Troops to the Defence of Canada during the American War of Independence (1776-1783)
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2005-059, 59A
Importance:
From their arrival in the colony in 1776, German auxiliary troops played a significant role in military operations aimed at preserving the integrity of Canadian territory threatened by the American War of Independence.
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Governors' Kiosque, at the Plains of Abraham, Quebec, Quebec
Between 1776 and 1783, German troops in British service played a key role in the defence of Canada, at times comprising one-third to one-half of the British forces. They helped reconquer territory taken by the American rebels and, in 1777, took part in General Burgoyne's failed invasion of American-controlled territory. After 1778, they formed an essential part of the defensive system, contributing most notably to improving the fortifications and building a temporary citadel that once stood here. One quarter of these 10,000 soldiers settled in Canada after the war, their descendants numbering in the tens of thousands today.