The fort as it is now is supposed to be set in the year previous to the British siege, and the staff/characters express all manner of anti-British sentiments.
While in Cape Breton, we spent a day at the Fortress of Louisbourg. Louisbourg is a national historic site, the partially rebuilt remains of the 18th century fortress and settlement there. About one quarter of the original settlement has been reconstructed. The fort is staffed by people who dress in period clothing and chat about the history of the settlement. The gentleman below is a fisherman; fishing was big business in Louisbourg- mostly cod. For example, in the year 1731 alone, Louisbourg fishermen exported 167,000 quintals of cod (a quintal is 220 pounds, so about 36,740,000 lbs) and 1600 barrels of cod liver oil. The site was originally peopled by settlers who travelled from Newfoundland (around 1713) and gradually built up as it became important to France both for its fishing industry and as a first line of defense against British attack by sea. The walls around the fortress took about 20 years to complete, between 1720-40. The Military chapel at Louisbourg: The Fortress was named after the late King Louis XIV of France, and in its heyday was one of the most impressive- and expensive- fortifications in North America. So... aptly named, I would say. A thief being marched off to the pillory: The nieces ready to defend the fort... or shoot their aunts... not sure which: The fortress was built on this location because it provided a good defense to attack by sea; there's a reef south of the harbour which made it necessary for the British, if they wished to enter it, to sail through a relatively narrow (500 ft) channel, within range of Louisbourg's two batteries. It would be very difficult to take the fortress solely by a sea attack. Unfortunately (for the French) Louisbourg was not well positioned for attacks by land. Built on low coastal land, it was vulnerable to attack from surrounding hills. Also, Quebec and/or France were a long distance away if they needed to send for reinforcements. This is basically what occurred in 1745 when the British took Louisbourg for the first time. Supported by British naval forces, a colonial force from New England erected artillery batteries on the low hills around the fortress and laid siege, eventually forcing the fort's garrison to surrender. The Fortress of Louisbourg was used as a bargaining chip by the British during peace talks and, in 1748, they returned it to France in exchange for the coastal city of Madras in India. This treaty was short lived, lasting only until the Seven Years' War broke out in 1756. In 1758 the British once again attacked and defeated Louisbourg, and this time they meant business. They completely demolished the military fortifications at Louisbourg- the batteries, the King's Bastion (fortress headquarters which at the time was the largest building in North America)- heck, they even razed the lighthouse, as I mentioned in an earlier post. The British set up a garrison there for about a decade, but eventually moved operations to Halifax, on the mainland. The fort as it is now is supposed to be set in the year previous to the British siege, and the staff/characters express all manner of anti-British sentiments. Niece must be restrained from climbing in with the sheep: One final thought: while we were driving to the fort, we passed a local church- not sure what denomination, we were past it before I could see- which was called The Mighty Fortress Church. Capitalizing on their proximity to the Fortress of Louisbourg while calling to mind Martin Luther's hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God... well played, church planters, well played.
Comments
|
About MeI'm a lover of good books, classic movies, and well-written shows (as well as some pretty cheesy ones, to be completely honest). Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
Fun SitesOdds & Ends |