From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 10 of 43
The Conquest
1759–1763
In 1759, the British army took Québec City after a battle on the Plains of Abraham. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave the colony to Great Britain. But many families kept speaking French at home.
Look together
What do you notice on the château’s roof?
An idea to try
Draw the same street at two different times. Change just one detail in the second drawing. Compare the two pictures and name two things they have in common.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
British forces took Québec City in 1759 and Montréal surrendered in 1760. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War between France and Great Britain and made the transfer of the colony of Canada official. The scene is set below Cap Diamant. Château Saint-Louis served French and then British governors. Damaged during the bombardment in 1759, it still needed repairs in 1763. Major work began in 1766.
The next scene shows how a hand press printed the Quebec Gazette, whose first issue appeared in French and English in 1764. Talk about how a change in government can happen while families still speak the same language at home.
Sources and illustration notes (4)
An imagined aunt and niece look up toward Château Saint-Louis from the riverfront. The house, waterfront and roof damage are simplified. The cliff is angular solid rock, with no waterfall. The everyday scene is set in 1763, after the capture of Québec City in 1759.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Parks Canada — Location and RecognitionSurrender in 1760, Treaty of Paris in 1763, location and château repairs.
- Parks Canada — Two châteauxArchitecture of the second château and damage from the 1759 bombardment.
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography — William BrownFirst issue of the bilingual Quebec Gazette in 1764.
- National Battlefields Commission - 1759The Battle of the Plains of Abraham and capture of Québec City in 1759.
Page prepared on November 7, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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