The Fortress of Louisbourg, located on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, is a significant historical site with a rich and complex history. The original settlement was founded in 1713 by French settlers from Terre-Neuve and was initially called Havre à l'Anglois. The French began constructing the fortress in 1719, and it was completed by the mid-1740s. Named after King Louis XIV of France, Louisbourg quickly grew into a major commercial port and one of the most extensive European fortifications in North America.
The fortress was strategically important due to its location and its role in the lucrative cod fishery off the Grand Banks. Louisbourg became a hub of commerce, trading in goods imported from France, Quebec, the West Indies, and New England. Despite its impressive defenses, the fortress had key weaknesses. It was built on low-lying ground commanded by nearby hills, making it vulnerable to land-based attacks. Additionally, its design was primarily focused on sea-based assaults, leaving its landward defenses relatively weak.
I had visited this historic site many years ago as part of a highschool trip. I had some vague memories, but largely, it was like coming back for the first time again, this time with my wife while on vacation. What's particularly fun about this site, is the people. There are actors all over the fort who play the role of the types of people you would have encountered in 18th Century Louisbourg. From traders to soldiers to the wealthy and their servants you can watch daily life here unfold before your eyes.
It was a beautiful, sun-shiney day with only one detractor... the wind. Being a very open location on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, you have to expect the wind. My mind quickly turned to how that wind would be during the winter on such an open place devoid of close firewood...
In 1745, during the War of the Austrian Succession, British colonists from New England captured Louisbourg after a 46-day siege. The fortress was returned to the French in 1748 by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, much to the chagrin of the New Englanders. However, the peace was short-lived. In 1758, during the Seven Years' War, British forces launched a second siege on Louisbourg. This time, the British were determined to ensure that the fortress would never again serve as a fortified French base.
The British attack in 1758 was overwhelming, with 13,100 troops supported by a 14,000-strong crew on board 150 ships. After a seven-week siege, the British captured Louisbourg and systematically destroyed its fortifications to prevent any future use by the French. The British maintained a garrison at Louisbourg until 1768 but had abandoned the site by 1785.
In the 20th century, efforts were made to reconstruct the fortress. Starting in 1961, a partial reconstruction of the fortress and town was undertaken, providing jobs for unemployed coal miners and relying on the expropriation of the community known as West Louisbourg. This reconstruction project continued into the 1970s and was followed by additional restoration work in 2018-2020 and again in 2022-2023 after Hurricane Fiona.
