OBJECTIVE AND KEY QUESTIONS

This learning module examines King George's War and the role New England colonies played in the conflict. Several key questions are explored.

1. What was the main cause of the War of the Austrian Succession?

2. When and how did the war spread to the colonies and become King George's War?

3. How did the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle lead many colonials to feel that they should run the colonies, not England ?

Using both primary and secondary sources, this module provides an overview of King George's war and the most significant battle of Fort Louisburg. 

King George's War 1744-1748

King George's War, or the War of Austrian Succession as it was called in Europe , was the third of four major conflicts that were fought in part on the North American continent. The first was King William's War 1689-1697 followed by Queen Anne's War 1701-1713, King George's War 1744-1748 and finally the French and Indian War which lasted from 1754-1763. While the alliances changed throughout these conflicts, two nations, England and France were always on opposing sides.

King George's War was the extension of The War of Austrian Succession which began in 1740 with the death of the Charles VI, the Emperor of Austria. The House of Hapsburg had no male heirs so his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa took the thrown. However, there were other claims to the thrown that sparked a war that involved most of the nations of Europe and eventually spread to the colonies. In 1744 France declared war on England which caused a renewed conflict in the American colonies. While the majority of the war was prosecuted on the European continent, there were several key battles fought in North America that became known as King George's War.

For the third time in only fifty five years, the colonists of New England and New France were caught up in another struggle between their two nations. However, even after the battles were raging in Europe , there was no sign that France or England planned on sending expeditions to North America . This by no means prevented the two colonies from fighting on their own. French privateers attacked British shipping in American waters which were supplied from Cape Breton . In 1744 the French, led by the governor of Cape Breton Marqui Duquesnel, destroyed British fortifications at Canso in Nova Scotia and attempted to take Annapolis but turned back when reinforcements arrived from Massachusetts. Duquesnel retreated back to Cape Breton and the strong defensive positions of Louisburg .

The fortress of Louisburg was viewed as the key to the defense of New France and was referred to as “the Gibraltar of the West”. The fortress was located on the eastern shore of Cape Breton facing the Atlantic and protected French privateers and commercial fishing vessels. The French spent twenty years and 1.5 million pounds sterling in its construction. It appeared to be an impregnable fortress with twenty to thirty feet high and forty feet thick. The fort was also nearly two and a half miles wide with 100 cannon. An expedition to seize the fort was conceived by the governor of Massachusetts , William Shirley with William Pepperell of Main as the commander. Governor Shirley appealed to England for aid and support in the expedition; however, none was forthcoming. He then appealed to the other colonies. New York supplied some artillery and Pennsylvania supplied provisions, while Connecticut and New Hampshire sent 500 and 450 men respectively. This is one of the first examples of the American colonies realizing the need for some sort of political union prior to 1754.

In April 1745, four thousand troops sailed toward Louisburg from Boston ; however, there was too much ice for the ships to enter Cape Breton and the assault was delay nearly a month. While they wanted, they were joined by British warships under the command of Admiral Peter Warren . Along with the New England vessels, there were over one hundred ships. Governor Shirley's orders were to land the troops early on the morning on April 27 th and capture the city and the fortress by surprise. The troops landed that morning with most of the artillery and supplies; however, they were spotted and the fortress fired shots to warn the city.

A French force was sent out to prevent the landing, but they were soon repulsed and fell back. The next morning, Lt Colonel Vaughan's troops advanced to within site of the fortress and torched warehouses full of supplies. After seeing the smoke from the fire, a nearby French battery spiked their guns and retreated back to the protection of the city. The French attempted to re-take the battery but were repulsed. The New England troops encamped around the fortress while Captain Richard Gridley batteries were set up. On May 31 st , the siege had begun in earnest. Admiral Warren had similar success and had captured a French ship with 74 guns and 500 men. A combined naval and army assault was conducted against the city and the fort and on June 17 th , both surrendered to the English. The English took nearly five million dollars worth of supplies in their victory had scored a serious blow against the French in North America .

The loss of fort Louisburg was devastating to the French who sent a large fleet to retake it under the command of Duke d'Anville. His fleet was split up by bad weather and disease killed hundreds of his men. He was forced to take shelter in Nova Scotia with his few remaining ships and committed suicide and the expedition never made it to Louisburg .

The French had better success along the western frontier in 1754. From Crown Point , on Lake Champlain , they staged attacks with Native Americans against English settlements. M. Rigaud captured Fort Massachusetts and his troops attacked settlement for fifty miles around the fort and M. Corne de St. Luc captured Fort Clinton and defeated the English forces there as well. Saratoga and Fort Bridgman were taken shortly thereafter leaving the country side from Boston to Albany in the hands of the French.

Fighting raged along the frontier for another two years and ended in a stalemate in 1748 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle . Louisburg was given back to the French in exchange for Madras , which had been lost to the French in India . The treaty was met with dissatisfaction up and down the colonies. Their crowning achievement of the war was handed back without their consent or knowledge. The colonies were paid over a million dollars for their expenditures; however, resentment would remain. This led many Americans to start believing that American affairs should be controlled by Americans and not King and Parliament three thousand miles away.

PRIMARY SOURCES

King George's War 1744-1748
http:www.u-s-history.com/pages/h847.html

King George's War:
http://www.historychannel.com/thcsearch/thc_resourcedetail.do?encyc_id=213862

King George's War:
http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_Vol_1/Kinggeorg_if.html

SECONDARY SOURCES

Browning, Reed. The War of the Austrian Succession , New York , St Martin 's Griffin . 1993.

Lawrence, James. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire . St Martin 's Griffin . 1994

Taylor, Alan. American Colonies: The Settling of North America . New York , Penguin Books, 2001 

IMAGE SOURCES

 Landing of New England troops
http://www.cmhg.forces.gc.ca/cmh/en/image_109.asp?page_id=112

Map of Cape Breton
http://www.stpeterscable.com/~capebretonliving/map1.htm

Portrait of Governor Shirley
http://www.blupete.com/Hist/BiosNS/1700-63/Shirley.htm

Portrait of Admiral Peter Warren
http://www.blupete.com/Hist/Bios