Mapping the American Invasion

In 1775, the American Continental Army invaded the Province of Quebec! In this activity, students reconstruct the various routes taken by the American troops, based on passages from the Musée du Fort Saint-Jean‘s permanent exhibition and original maps.

This activity was designed in collaboration with the Musée du Fort Saint-Jean and can be done in the classroom or at the museum. Contact their team to organize your visit with your class!

Activity content

In the first part of the activity, students fill in the blank map using the information in the appendix. In the second part, students are asked to identify the elements of continuity and rupture in relation to the American invasion.

The Student’s Guide helps you follow the activity. It contains instructions, a blank map and an appendix with passages from the permanent exhibition of the Musée du Fort Saint-Jean and hyperlinks to royalty-free vintage maps. The teacher’s guide contains the same content as the student’s guide, but with the full maps.

Activity objectives

The aim of these educational activities is to give Cycle 2 students a better understanding of the historical significance of Fort St-Jean in the history of Quebec and Canada, and more specifically, in the events surrounding the Quebec Act of 1774. Students will be able to understand the 1775 American invasion of the province of Quebec and how it changed the history of Quebec and Canada.

Through this activity, students will practice the intellectual operations required by the Secondary 3 program of the Quebec Ministry of Education, by analyzing primary and secondary historical documents. More specifically, this activity is part of the “American Invasion” component of the Quebec Education Program. Finally, students will also develop their knowledge of Quebec and Canadian history through the skills promoted by the Quebec Education Program:

  • Characterize a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
  • Interpreting a social reality

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