Fort Chambly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Chambly |
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| Coordinates | 45°26′58″N 73°16′37″W / 45.44944°N 73.27694°W |
| Type | Fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | New France; Great Britain; Canada |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1665 |
| In use | 1675–1776 |
| Battles/wars | Iroquois Wars — Seven Years' War — Invasion of Canada Campaign — American Revolution |
| Official name: Fort Chambly National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1920 |
Fort Chambly is an old fort in Quebec, Canada. It's a special place called a National Historic Site of Canada. Long ago, it was known as Fort St. Louis. This fort was one of five forts built along the Richelieu River. Their job was to protect people traveling on the river from attacks by the Iroquois people. This area is sometimes called "la Vallée-des-Forts," which means "the Valley of the Forts."
Contents
History of Fort Chambly
How Fort Chambly Began
Fort Chambly is located by the Chambly rapids on the Richelieu River in Quebec. The French built the stone fort we see today in 1711. But it wasn't the first fort on this spot! The very first fort, called Fort Saint Louis, was built in 1665. Captain Jacques de Chambly built it to protect New France from attacks by the Iroquois.
Changes and Rebuilding the Fort
After some small repairs, the first fort was burned down by Indigenous people in 1702. But it was rebuilt in the same year. By then, people already called it Fort Chambly.
Around this time, a big peace agreement, the Great Peace of Montreal, ended the war between the French and the Iroquois. However, a new war, the War of the Spanish Succession, started in Europe and spread to the French and English colonies. To defend against stronger European armies and their cannons, Governor Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil ordered the fort to be rebuilt using stone in 1709.
An engineer named Josué Boisberthelot de Beaucours designed and built the new stone fort. He also made big improvements to the fort between 1718 and 1720. He believed these changes would make the fort much stronger.
Fort Chambly's Role in Defense
For many years, Fort Chambly was a key part of the defense system along the Richelieu River. This river was the easiest way for enemies to invade New France. Later, two new forts, Fort Saint-Frédéric (built in 1731) and Fort Saint-Jean (built in 1748), were built further south. Because of these new forts, Fort Chambly became less important for defense.
It was then used as a warehouse and a meeting place for soldiers. Even though its main job changed, the fort was never completely left empty. During the Seven Years' War, Fort Chambly was made stronger and used again by soldiers. However, it couldn't stop the British from reaching Montreal and Quebec City.
When the British Took Over
The strong stone fort you see today was captured by the British in August 1760. This happened during the French and Indian War, as part of the Montreal Campaign.
Fort Chambly During the American Revolution
American forces captured Fort Chambly on October 20, 1775. This was during the American Invasion of Canada of 1775–76. The Americans held the fort until the spring of 1776. When they had to retreat south to Fort Ticonderoga, they evacuated and burned the fort.
After this, American soldiers who were captured, like Colonel William Stacy, were held as prisoners at Fort Chambly. They stayed there until the end of the American Revolutionary War.
During the American occupation, a special group of soldiers called the 1st Canadian Regiment was formed. James Livingston created this group to help the American efforts during the American Revolutionary War. Livingston started recruiting men from Chambly as early as September 1775. This regiment fought mainly in Canada and New York. It was officially ended on January 1, 1781.
Restoring Fort Chambly
After some events called the Fenian Raids in the 1860s, the fort was used again for a short time. But then it was left to fall apart. In 1881, a citizen from Chambly named Joseph-Octave Dion personally repaired and restored the fort.
In the 1900s, the Canadian government realized how important Fort Chambly was for history and culture. They took over its care. Between 1965 and 1985, archaeologists dug up the site to learn more about it. Today, a fully rebuilt version of Fort Chambly, showing how it looked between 1718 and 1720, is cared for by Parks Canada. It is open to the public as the Fort Chambly National Historic Site of Canada.
Legacy of Fort Chambly
On June 28, 1985, Canada Post released a stamp featuring 'Fort Chambly, Que.' This stamp was part of the "Forts Across Canada Series."
Images for kids
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Fort Chambly in the Summer
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Fort Chambly from a distance
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Fort Chambly in Winter
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Fort Chambly 1863
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Fort Chambly 2002
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Fort Chambly walls
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Aerial view of Fort Chambly
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Place d'armes and cannon along river
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Wall along the Richelieu River
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Fort Chambly cannon
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cannon in Fort Chambly
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View of Fort Chambly in Chambly, Quebec, Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Chambly para niños
- St. Stephen's Anglican Church, a church built in 1820 for soldiers at the fort
Affiliations
The Fort Chambly Museum works with the CMA, the CHIN, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
