Siege of Quebec
- When
- 1690
- Where
- Hull, Massachusetts; Quebec City
- Episodes
- 2
In October 1690, Sir William Phips led a Massachusetts expedition to besiege Quebec City during King William's War. The attack failed after the fleet ran out of ammunition, marking the first test of the city's defenses.
Episodes
- Departure from Massachusetts
Phips's force left Hull, Massachusetts, on August 20, 1690, with insufficient ammunition.
- Bombardment of Quebec City
The fleet anchored in the Quebec basin on October 16 and bombarded the city until October 19.
Background and detail
Strategic Context. Following the capture of Port Royal, New England forces aimed to seize Quebec City, the capital of New France. By 1689, New France had about 14,000 settlers, many protected by forts, though Quebec City lacked extensive fortifications on its landward side.
Expedition Launch. Sir William Phips was appointed major-general by Massachusetts to command the expedition. The force departed from Hull, Massachusetts, on August 20, 1690, but was inadequately supplied with ammunition and hampered by bad weather and lack of pilots.
Failure and Aftermath. Phips's ships anchored before Quebec City and bombarded it until October 19, when ammunition ran out. The defeat was disastrous for the attackers. Louis XIV later ordered a medal struck celebrating the deliverance of Quebec City in 1690.
People involved
- Louis XIV · King of France who ordered a commemorative medal
Sources
- Battle of Quebec (1690) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.