Canadian+Invasion

= = = =



media type="file" key="ocanada.mp3" width="240" height="20" align="left"



= = = =

** Richard Montgomery (Dec. 2nd, 1738-Dec. 31, 1775) **
==== Montgomery, an Irish-born soldier, first served in the [|British Army]. He later joined the [|Continental Army]during the revolution. He was the leader of the first failed attack on [|Canada] in 1775, known as the Canadian Invasion. In his earlier years, Montgomery enrolled in [|Trinity College, Dublin]. Two years after attending Trinity College, Montgomery joined the Bristish Army to fight in the [|French Indian War]. While in the British Army, Montgomery served in the Caribbean and the United States. He later was stationed in Fort Detroit during the [|Pontiac's War]. In 1773, Montgomery settled in the thirteen colonies with his new wife, Janet Livingston. Montgomery went to the Patriot side when the Revolutionary war broke out, thus joining the Continental Army. But before his time in the Continental Army, Montgomery was elected to the New York Provincial Congress. He was a [|Brigadier] General in the Continental Army, he led the Canadian invasion of 1775 in Phillip Schuyler's place after he had fallen ill. The capturing of Fort St. Johns and Montreal was successful, but when he lead the attack on Quebec with Benedict Arnold, Montgomery was killed in battle and it ended unsuccessfully. ====

** Be **** nedict Arnold (Jan. 14th, 1741-June 14th, 1801) **
==== Benedict Arnold, the traitor of the American Revolution played a big part in the war. He was a general and led the other expedition (other than Montgomery's) to the failed Canadian Invasion in [|Quebec] City. Later into the war, Benedict planned to surrender to the British at the Battle of [|West Point], New York which earned him a spot as brigadier general in the British Army in 1780. His acts to betray the Continental Army were based on his unrecognized victories. Arnold's life began in [|Connecticut] where he was born. When the war broke out in 1775, Arnold was a merchant working on the Atlantic Ocean. After joining the army in Boston, he quickly began to lead with bravery and skill in combat. He demonstrated these qualities in battles like the [|Capture of Fort Ticonderoga], the Battle of Valcour Island, the Battle of Ridgefield, the Siege of Fort Stanwix, and the [|Battles of Saratoga]. ====

***On the map above, Benedict Arnold led his troops from Newburyport to Quebec to meet up with Montgomery and attack, this plan was used to surround the city on both ends.**
media type="youtube" key="LiUPdM5QEPM" height="315" width="420"media type="youtube" key="80YqolUiIF0" height="315" width="420"



== In 1775, The Americans formed a plan to invade Canada, a British colony which was formed after the [|Seven Years' War]. Their goal was to gain control of Quebec which was currently the British [|Province of Quebec]. Their other main goal was to recruit French speaking Canadians into the Continental Army. The troops were split into two groups, one led by Richard Montgomery and the other by Benedict Arnold. Montgomery led his men from [|Fort Ticonderoga] to capture Fort St. Johns and to later take Montreal but he and his men were almost captured by the British general [|Guy Carleton]. The expedition under Benedict Arnold left from [|Cambridge, Massachusetts]. Arnold and his men took a difficult [|route], traveling through the wilderness until arriving in Quebec City where he met Montgomery and they attacked. ==

== This was a failed battle with Montgomery being killed. This was a fail for several reasons. After the battle in [|Montreal], Guy Carleton rushed to Quebec City where he helped defend the British. Also, Benedict Arnold's men were starved and low on military equipment after their long, hard journey. This clearly affected their performance in the battle. Lastly, the Continental Army had greatly reduced in size due to expired military enlistments. This looked like a death sentence for the Americans even before the battle, and it truly was. ==

== Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery met up in December and attacked the city in a fierce snowstorm, which also affected the outcome of the invasion. The defenders of the city did well to rid of the Americans, leaving Montgomery dead and Arnold wounded. By 1776, the British were able to force the American troops (many affected by [|smallpox]) back to Fort Ticonderoga. ==

== After the battle, Benedict got credit for his retreat from Quebec. Also, he was credited for his improvisation with the [|navy] on [|Lake Champlain]. Although this was a failed attack made by the Americans, Benedict Arnold gained more recognition added to his (currently) good reputation as a general in the Continental Army. ==