The Battlefields Park facts for kids
The Battlefields Park is a special place in Quebec City, Canada. It includes the famous Plains of Abraham and the smaller Des Braves Park. This park is one of the few national urban parks in Canada. It's important because two big battles happened here: the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 and the Battle of Sainte-Foy six months later.
The park was officially created on March 17, 1908. Today, it has a visitor center and walking paths. People also use it for outdoor concerts, especially during the national festival. You can see about 50 old cannons scattered around the park. The National Battlefields Commission manages the park. This is a government group that also has its own police service.
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Martello Towers: Old Forts of Quebec
The British built four special towers called Martello towers between 1808 and 1812. They wanted to stop the Americans from getting too close to the walls of Quebec City. The towers were placed so they could protect each other. They stretched across the Plains of Abraham to guard the western side of the city.
Strong Design of the Towers
The towers were built to be very strong. They had a round shape to make cannonballs bounce off. Their walls were very thick, making them almost impossible to break with cannons. There were only a few small openings to stop enemies from getting inside easily.
The doors to these towers were very high up, about 4.5 meters (15 feet) off the ground. Soldiers had to use a removable ladder to get in. This made it hard for enemies to storm the towers.
Towers in History
Even though they were built for battle, the Martello towers were never actually attacked. By the 1860s, new and more powerful cannons were invented. These new cannons could break through the thick walls, making the towers outdated.
Today, you can visit Martello Tower No. 1 during the summer. You can explore its three floors and learn about military engineering. The towers originally had roofs that could be taken off in winter to prevent snow from building up. Later, permanent roofs were added that look similar to the old ones.
Martello Towers as Historic Sites
In 1990, the three remaining Martello towers became a national historic site. They are also part of the larger Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site. One of the towers is located outside the main park area, within the city streets.
See also
In Spanish: Parque de los Campos de Batalla para niños
