August 1, 2018
CBC News
It was a pivotal battle in Canadian history.
Everyone who remembers their grade school history can recall the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
Deep inside the Canadian War Museum’s map room are four maps drawn of battles between the French and the British, including the battle at the plains.
The battle between French and British Forces in Quebec City happened more than 100 years before Canada became a country, but it helped shape our future as a British colony instead of a French one.
Research benefit
Collections specialist Carol Reid said the four hand-drawn maps tell details of battles that would shape Canada going forward. She said, while they have never been on public display, they’re invaluable for research.
“Our historians looked at these when they were planning some of the dioramas in our permanent collection,” she said.
Jeffery Amherst, the commander of the British forces at the time, had the maps drawn as part of his reports back to England about the progress he was making. This was standard for armies at the time.
“There were cartographers on the staff of the British army and the French army who would draw up maps of the battle,” she said.
The maps were donated to the museum anonymously in 1967, but were likely drawn not long after the battle in 1759.