French and Indians besiege Fort William Henry

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.6: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - United States.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Domains

Battle

Dates

Date of occurrence 1757-08-03-1757-08-09

Places

United States (Location)
Canada (Involved)
France (Involved)
United Kingdom (Involved)

Cultural Identities

The French and their Huron allies under the Marquis de Montcalm besieged British and colonial troops in Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George in what is now Upper New York State. The Fort surrendered on 9 August 1757 and its loss was seen as deeply threatening to the British colonies since French strategy was to reach the headwaters of the Hudson and then capture New York.

As a condition of the surrender, the garrison was given safe-conduct to return to Britain on agreement that they should take no further part in the war, but the baggage train was attacked by Hurons wanting scalps and booty as a reward for the support they had provided. The massacre became a notorious example of “French perfidy” and “Indian …

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211 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "French and Indians besiege Fort William Henry". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 April 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4116, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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