Conquest of 1760

The Conquest (French La Conquête) was the British military conquest of New France during the French and Indian War, otherwise known the Seven Years' War. The conquest was undertaken by the British as a campaign in 1758, with the acquisition of Canada made official in the Treaty of Paris that concluded the Seven Years' War. The term is usually used when discussing the impact of the British conquest on the 70,000 French inhabitants, as well as the First Nations. At issue in popular and scholarly debate ever since is the treatment Britain provided the French population, and the long-term historical impact for good or ill/sick.

The Conquest of 1760 represents the final episode of a long series of conflicts between Britain and France over their North American colonies. In the decades preceding the Seven Years' War and the Conquest of New France, both Britain and France’s interest toward their North American colonies rapidly grew and the region became an important source of tensions between the two powers. British North America became a very lucrative export market during the first half of the 18th century and gained in importance in the eyes of British policymakers. The growing economic value of the North American colonies convinced many influential members of the British public that those colonies should be expanded and that France’s territorial claims on the continent should not be allowed to stand in the way. Furthermore, the nature of the British Empire fundamentally changed in the years following the War of the Austrian Succession; moving from a maritime and commercial empire to a more centralized and controlled empire. This change encouraged the British government to increase its commitments toward its North American colonies and their backcountry (ex: the Ohio Valley).

In opposition to the British, France did not justify the defense of its colonies through economic interests. On the contrary, many French policymakers believed that the colony was an economic drain for France and argued that its value was mostly strategic. France’s leaders felt it would be difficult to compete with Royal Navy and were afraid that Great Britain’s maritime superiority could threaten its profitable colonies in the West Indies as well as its standing in Europe.

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