I was especially happy to meet Chris Kilford, branch president, in person. The CIC is lucky to have him steering their largest branch.

Special thanks to Munro’s Books for being there to sell copies of my book.

A special thanks to all the organizers, including Mark, Anne-Marie, Margaret, and Kim, for making it happen, and to Glen, for picking me up at the ferry!

Le 8 décembre, nous aurons le plaisir d'accueillir @mdrohan.bsky.social, chercheuse principale à l’École supérieure d’études publiques et internationales et auteure du livre He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin’s Failure to Annex Canada.

Pour en savoir plus >>> bit.ly/484Cf3g

Sadly not. There were other American spies active in Canada before them.

With Canada seemingly in his army’s reach in late November, Washington decided to take a second look at what could be done with Nova Scotia.

#hedidnotconquer #cdahistory #history #books #Halifax @dundurnpress.bsky.social

The Americans had invaded Canada in early September believing, based on bad intelligence, that the French Canadians would support the invasion and that Governor Guy Carleton was planning an attack. Montreal and Trois-Rivières had fallen. Only Quebec City was under British control.

Washington had rejected the idea of an invasion in August, saying that as Nova Scotia had not attacked the 13 colonies and no attack seemed imminent, invading it would be “a measure of conquest, rather than defence, and may be attended with very dangerous consequences.”

Benjamin Franklin included it, along with Canada, St. John’s (P.E.I.), the Bermudas, and East and West Florida, in his July 1775 plan to unify the 13 colonies.John Adams proposed invading it in early November to snatch the British weapons, ships, and naval stores.

“The necessity of acting with a proper degree of caution and secrecy is too apparent to need recommendation,” he told Aaron Willard and Moses Child.
The revolutionary leaders had coveted Nova Scotia for some time.

There may have been a couple. For the most part they either supported the invaders or stayed silent because they wanted to preserve their commercial links with merchants in London.

The test was whether they were willing to join the militia and defend Quebec City. It wasn’t ethnicity, or religion. In the end, a combination of British regulars and marines, French-speaking and English-speaking Canadians, and indigenous peoples all fought for Carleton against the invaders.

Carleton did not want anyone within the city walls who would not fight on his side. Many who left were English-speaking merchants, originally from the 13 colonies, who sided with the invaders.

#hedidnotconquer #cdahistory #history #cdaus

This is great! Thanks for sharing.

But coming so soon after the announcement of his death, the moment felt bittersweet.

He was Canada’s preeminent military historian, the author of 19 books that told us who we are and where we came from. He is already missed.

#cdahist #cdaus @dundurnpress.bsky.social #history #canada