32 



France (May, 1756) and hostilities were waged with varying 

 results until the capitulation of Montreal in 1760. The early 

 campaigns showed decisively the incompetency of the English 

 generals sent over to command the English and colonial troops ; 

 making apparent the conceited wilfulness of Braddock, whose 

 name has become synonymous with defeat, the imbecility of 

 Loudoun, and the inability of Abercrombie. But the acces- 

 sion to power of William Pitt and the appointment to general 

 command of General Wolfe soon brought order out of chaos 

 and substituted victory for defeat. 



In this war the American colonies had much at stake — more 

 far than they knew — and were intensely interested ; for the great 

 question at issue was, whether North America should be Eng- 

 lish and Protestant or French and Catholic. When, on the 

 18th day of September, 1759, the lilies of France were 

 removed from the ramparts of Quebec, this momentous ques- 

 tion was settled. While her worthless king had been toying 

 with his trifles and his mistresses, France had lost a domain 

 compared with which her own was but a province. 



From first to last the little community of Pennycook, coun- 

 selled and encouraged by her minister, had contributed liberally 

 from her scant supply of men and means to further the national 

 success. She was gallantly represented in the first expedition 

 to Crown Point in 1755, at the massacre at Fort William 

 Henry in 1 757-» an< ^ at Ticonderoga, Crown Point, the Indian 

 village of St. Francis, and at the capture of Quebec in 1759. 

 From the imperfect records which have escaped destruction 

 have been gleaned the names of no less than forty-three of her 

 stalwart men who in this war did honor to their country and 

 themselves as well. 



From the treaty of Paris on for a dozen years, the American 

 colonies had peace and an opportunity for recuperation and 

 growth. But the selfish policy of the home government soon 

 created an unrest which broadened and deepened until it had 

 culminated in revolution. 



The people of the American colonies, at the time of the 

 Revolution, were fortunate in three particulars : 



1. The French and Indian Wars had taught them the use of 

 arms and their own power. 



