Battle of Quebec

This passage describes the Battle of Quebec, which was fought during the Revolutionary War on New Year's Eve, 1775.

Lexile Level: 770L

Categories: History People & Places

The Battle of Quebec occurred during the American Revolutionary War. American revolutionaries tried to capture the Canadian city of Quebec. This happened on New Year's Eve, 1775. The Americans wanted to protect their northern borders from British attacks. The Americans also wanted to get French-Canadian support for the revolution. General Richard Montgomery had captured Montreal in November of 1775. George Washington sent Benedict Arnold to assist Montgomery in an attack on Quebec. The difficult march, sickness, and lack of supplies weakened Arnold's forces. Also, desertion was not uncommon. The Americans launched an assault on Quebec in the early morning, but it was unsuccessful. Montgomery was killed, and Arnold was wounded. Even though they lost the battle, Arnold continued to lay siege to Quebec. He was outnumbered, and his troops had to endure the bitter winter temperatures. Finally, the American attempt to invade Canada failed. The French-Canadians did not rise up to join the American revolt.