Plains of Abraham, Battle of the

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham, or Première bataille de Québec in French), is a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War in the United States).

The battle, which begins on September 13, 1759, is fought by the British Army and Navy against the French Army on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec City, on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name of the battle.

The battle involves fewer than ten thousand troops between both sides, but proves to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.

The culmination of a three-month siege by the British, the battle lasts about an hour.

British troops commanded by General James Wolfe successfully resist  the column advance of French troops and Canadien militia under General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, employing new tactics that prove extremely effective against standard military formations used in most large European conflicts.

Both generals are mortally wounded during the battle; Wolfe received three gunshot wounds that end his life within minutes of the beginning of the engagement and Montcalm died the next morning after receiving a musket ball wound just below his ribs.

In the wake of the battle, the French evacuate the city; their remaining military force in Canada and the rest of North America come under increasing pressure from British forces.

France cedes most of its possessions in eastern North America to Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris.

The decisive success of the British forces and the subsequent capture of Quebec City form part of what become known as the "Annus Mirabilis" in Great Britain.

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