The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony: America’s War of Liberation in Canada, 1774–1776

Independent scholar Anderson makes a significant contribution to a neglected aspect of the American Revolution in this comprehensive, well-written monograph. He describes the Quebec Campaign of 1775–76 as the U.S.’s “first war of liberation.” The Canadians’ correspondence with the “Bostonians” led to the United Colonies’ decision “to erect the glorious standard of American liberty in Canada.” In the context of ongoing protests in Quebec against colonial policies, the movement needed “only a few sparks... to ignite a rebellion.” The ostensible liberators, including Benedict Arnold’s small outfit, initially found the Quebecois “ready to embrace the patriot cause.” Montreal submitted quietly to the Americans, but they were unable to force or negotiate Quebec’s surrender; the disastrous attack by the Americans on December 31, 1775, inspired resistance the Americans couldn’t suppress or conciliate. “Continental maladministration” handicapped the emergence of effective civilian leadership, and Anderson’s thorough description of the convoluted situation is a major strength of the book. While the main American force deteriorated in the face of Quebecois resistance, its Canadian supporters sought rural support, but their “increasingly revolutionary” approach generated “progovernment insurrection” instead. The arrival of a British relief force resulted in the subsequent abandonment of an invasion that the Continental Congress was “unprepared to control, adequately guide, or properly support.” (Nov.)