Fort Lennox National Historic Site of Canada

Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures

The American Invasion

American officer, between 1775 and 1776
© Parks Canada / Illustration by G.A.Embleton

Stimulated by their desire for independence, revolutionaries in the 13 American colonies declared war on Great Britain in 1775. A few months later, they occupied île aux Noix. General Schuyler used it as a base for the attack on Montreal. One year later, in reaction to the resistance encountered at Quebec City and the British counter-attack, the Americans retreated to the island, which provided them with a strategic refuge for their troops. Following their withdrawal from île aux Noix, the island became the southernmost British defensive position on the Richelieu.

Ile aux Noix, late 18^th century. In the background, the French defense works constructed in 1759 and the British blockhouses erected in 1776.
© National Archives of Canada / Capitaine Rudyard / C-40335

The British then considered the island to be a major frontier post, and decided to fortify it. The original intention was to adapt the remains of the French fortification to contain a small garrison. A few blockhouses were constructed in 1779, making the fort capable of resisting an attack. Then, from 1779 to 1782, they built a much more impressive fortification using the plans drawn up by Twiss, an engineer.

The border with the newly founded United States was to remain a source of conflict, with clashes erupting sporadically. Finally, the ongoing state of tension between England and its former colony was to build up into another full-blown war.

• The First Inhabitants
• The Campaign of 1760
• The War of 1812-1814 and the Naval Shipyard
• Fort Lennox, the Last English Fortification
• The Transition to Peacetime