Soldiers of the Atlantic Seaboard

The Future Of Louisbourg

• Previous page of section
• 1: Page 1 of section
• Next page of section

Louisbourg remained the strategic centre of French maritime activity. However, its population was only 4,000, with 1,700 soldiers available to defend it. The colonies to the south, on the other hand, now had the support of the Royal Navy and their militias were becoming ever larger and better trained. The recent founding of Halifax, which would become a powerful naval base, confirmed Britain's determination to control maritime traffic along the Atlantic coast. The balance of forces between the English and French was changing rapidly, and Louisbourg's geopolitical position made it an inescapable target.