History Browser

The names of troops raised by the French Ministry of Marine often confuse people. There were separate units of Compagnies franches de la Marine to serve aboard warships. These troops had nothing to do with the Compagnies franches found in Canada.

Help the ghost of Samuel de Champlain regain his memory of Canada`s national historic sites in an interactive game for younger children.

With its obvious strategic location, Signal Hill became the site of harbour defences from the 18th century through the Second World War. The last battle of the Seven Years' War in North America was fought here in 1762.

During the rest of the 1690s, the Iroquois and French traded raids. The Iroquois settlements suffered greatly, while the Amerindians felt they were being poorly supported by their English allies. Exhausted, the Iroquois signed a peace treaty with France in 1701.

The amount of artillery at Louisbourg led to the creation of an artillery company there in 1743. There was a school for artillery training at Quebec, which became the nucleus for a second company in 1750. Gunners wore distinctive uniforms and were considered elite soldiers.

Canadian militia preferred to use light hunting muskets of small calibre. The Canadians were noted for their accurate shooting. Militiamen were supposed to provide their own weapons, but the government was sometimes forced to issue weapons.

As an island state, Britain gave priority to its navy. The Admiralty (the appointed committee of admirals which made all strategic decisions) governed hundreds of ships worldwide. The Royal Navy used its bases in Canada to help control the Northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

In the towns of Canada, there developed over time units of militia of specialized nature. Examples include companies of artillery and 'reserve companies' of bourgeois used for guard and ceremonial duties.

This historic site celebrates the rich communications and military history of Signal Hill and sits amidst a spectacular view of St. John's and the sea.

This man wears the classic red coat of the British soldier, with green cuffs, the colour associated with the independent companies. He holds a flintlock musket fitted with a 'plug' bayonet. A sword completes his armament. Independent companies were used to guard places that were not important enough to warrant a regiment. In 1698, a company was formed for St. John's, Newfoundland, where it stayed until it was made prisoner during the 1709 French capture of St. John's. In 1713, four companies were raised to garrison Nova Scotia (formerly Acadia), and the next year four more were created for Newfoundland. Reconstruction by Gerald A. Embleton. (Canadian Department of National Defence)