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Plains of Abraham

 

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Plains of Abraham



 
 
The Plains of Abraham is a historic 108-acre
Acre

The acre is a Units of measurement of area in a number of different systems, including the Imperial unit#Measures of area and United States customary units#Units of area systems....
 (44-hectare
Hectare

A hectare is a unit of area equal to , or one square hectometre , and commonly used for surveying.The hectare is used in most countries around the world, especially in domains concerned with land ownership, land planning, and land management, including law , agriculture, forestry, and town planning....
) plateau
Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland , usually consisting of relatively flat terrain....
 within The Battlefields Park
The Battlefields Park

The Battlefields Park includes the Plains of Abraham with Des Braves Park, both within Quebec City, and forms one of the few Canada national urban parks....
 in Quebec City
Quebec City

Qu?bec or Quebec, also Quebec City or Qu?bec City , is the Capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region....
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, located just outside the Citadelle of Quebec
Citadelle of Quebec

The Citadelle?the French name is used both in English and French?is a military installation and official residence located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada....
 and the walls of Quebec City
Ramparts of Quebec City

Located in Canada, the Ramparts of Quebec City are the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas, north of Mexico. The England began fortifying the existing walls, after they took the city from the France in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759....
.

The plains are named after Abraham Martin, called "the Scot," (1589-1664), a fisherman and river pilot, who brought his animals to graze
Grazing

Grazing generally describes a type of predation in which a herbivore feeds on plants , or more broadly on a multicellular autotrophs . Grazing differs from true predation because the organism being eaten is not death, and it differs from parasitism as the two organisms do not symbiosis, nor is the grazer necessarily so limited in what it can...
 there as he owned land near the area of the current park. The use of the name certainly seems to have been popular at the time among the military and the English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
.






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The Plains of Abraham is a historic 108-acre
Acre

The acre is a Units of measurement of area in a number of different systems, including the Imperial unit#Measures of area and United States customary units#Units of area systems....
 (44-hectare
Hectare

A hectare is a unit of area equal to , or one square hectometre , and commonly used for surveying.The hectare is used in most countries around the world, especially in domains concerned with land ownership, land planning, and land management, including law , agriculture, forestry, and town planning....
) plateau
Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland , usually consisting of relatively flat terrain....
 within The Battlefields Park
The Battlefields Park

The Battlefields Park includes the Plains of Abraham with Des Braves Park, both within Quebec City, and forms one of the few Canada national urban parks....
 in Quebec City
Quebec City

Qu?bec or Quebec, also Quebec City or Qu?bec City , is the Capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region....
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, located just outside the Citadelle of Quebec
Citadelle of Quebec

The Citadelle?the French name is used both in English and French?is a military installation and official residence located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada....
 and the walls of Quebec City
Ramparts of Quebec City

Located in Canada, the Ramparts of Quebec City are the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas, north of Mexico. The England began fortifying the existing walls, after they took the city from the France in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759....
.

The plains are named after Abraham Martin, called "the Scot," (1589-1664), a fisherman and river pilot, who brought his animals to graze
Grazing

Grazing generally describes a type of predation in which a herbivore feeds on plants , or more broadly on a multicellular autotrophs . Grazing differs from true predation because the organism being eaten is not death, and it differs from parasitism as the two organisms do not symbiosis, nor is the grazer necessarily so limited in what it can...
 there as he owned land near the area of the current park. The use of the name certainly seems to have been popular at the time among the military and the English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
. The name of Abraham appears in the toponymy
Toponymy

Toponymy is the scientific study of place-names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The first part of the word is derived from the Greek language t?pos , place; followed by ?noma , meaning name....
 of Quebec City from the French regime
New France

The Viceroyalty of New France was the area French colonization of the Americas by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to Spain and Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763....
. The deeds of the 17th and 18th centuries refer to the coast of Abraham and a 1734 plan even precisely locates an Abraham Street. The first references to the current area's name are from military documents, the journals of the Chevalier de Levis
Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis

Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis , born near Limoux, was a French noble and a Marshal of France. He served with distinction in the War of the Austrian Succession, and served as a capable second in command to Louis Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm....
 and the Marquis de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm

Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was the commander of the France forces in North America during the Seven Years' War . He is most remembered for his role in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, and remains a controversial figure....
 refer to the "Heights of Abraham". The journals of British soldiers during the days surrounding the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War . The confrontation, which began on 12 September 1759, was fought between the British Army and Royal Navy, and the French Army, on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec City....
 mention the "Heights of Abraham" or "Plains of Abraham".

On 13 September 1759, the land was the scene of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War . The confrontation, which began on 12 September 1759, was fought between the British Army and Royal Navy, and the French Army, on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec City....
 in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War

The French and Indian War was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War, known in Canada as the War of the Conquest. The name refers to the two main enemies of the British: the royal French forces and the various Indigenous peoples of the Americas forces allied with them....
 (part of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War lasted between 1756?1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Kingdom of Prussia and Kingdom of Great Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Archduchy of Austria, Early Modern France, Russian Empire, Kingdom of Sweden, and Electorate of Sa...
) in which the British army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
, under General James Wolfe
James Wolfe

General James Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for Battle of Quebec in Canada and establishing British rule there....
, climbed the steep cliff under the city in darkness, surprising and defeating the French
French Army

The French Army, officially the Arm?e de Terre , is the Army component of the Military of France and its largest. As of 2007, the army employs 134,000 regular soldiers, 15,500 reservists, and 25,750 civilians....
. Both Wolfe and the French commander Montcalm died of their wounds but the battle left control of Quebec City to the British, which would allow them to take control of Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 the following year with the surrender of Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
 despite the victory of the Chevalier de Levis
Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis

Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis , born near Limoux, was a French noble and a Marshal of France. He served with distinction in the War of the Austrian Succession, and served as a capable second in command to Louis Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm....
 over General James Murray on 28 April 1760. With the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)

The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement....
 in 1763, France consequently renounced possession of Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Acadia
Acadia

Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empires in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritimes, and modern-day New England, stretching as far south as Philadelphia....
, and most of Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
 which went to Spain although France retained control over New Orleans and the surrounding area. In 1800, following Spain's military demise at the hands of Napoleon, Louisiana was returned to France according to the terms of the Treaty of San Ildefonso
Treaty of San Ildefonso

San Ildefonso is a town in central Spain, the summer residence of the Kings of Spain, where several treaties were signed; each is referred to, in context, as the Treaty of San Ildefonso ....
. This cleared the way for the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of the French territory Louisiana in 1803. The U.S. paid 60 million French franc plus cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs , a total cost of $15,000,000 for the Louisiana territory....
 by the United States in 1803, effectively ending French rule in mainland North America.

The park became the first National Historic Site of Canada on 17 March 1908 under the auspices of the National Battlefields Commission, a gift from the Canadian federal government
Government of Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The powers and structure of the federal government are set out in the Constitution of Canada, which includes the written part, the decisions of courts, and unwritten conventions developed over time....
 to Quebec City for its 300th anniversary. The site has become the city park section of Quebec City, the National Battlefields Commission comparing its use to that of Central Park
Central Park

Central Park is a large public, urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually. Most of the areas immediately adjacent to the park are known for impressive buildings and valuable real estate....
 in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine ....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
.

The parks are used by 4 million visitors and tourists annually for sports, relaxation, outdoor concerts, and festivals, especially during Fête nationale du Québec
Fête nationale du Québec

Qu?bec's National Holiday is the National Day of the Canadian province of Qu?bec. A paid Public holidays in Canada covered by the Act Respecting Labour Standards, it is celebrated annually on June 24, Nativity of St....
 celebrations, the Quebec Winter Carnival, and the Quebec City Summer Festival
Quebec City Summer Festival

The Festival d'?t?, or Summer Festival has been taking place annually since 1968. It is organised by groups of businesspersons and artists of Quebec City in order to show the artistic, economic, and touristic potential of the Qu?bec....
.

On July 20, 2008, Sir Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney Member of the Order of the British Empire is a multiple Grammy Award-winning England singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record producer, film producer, Painting, and Animal rights....
 offered a free concert on this land as part of the 400th anniversary of the city of Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
. An estimated 270,000 people was predicted to have attended the event. Quebec city native songstress Pascale Picard and Montreal based The Stills
The Stills

The Stills are a Canada Rock music band....
 provided the opening act.

See also


  • Battle of the Plains of Abraham
    Battle of the Plains of Abraham

    The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War . The confrontation, which began on 12 September 1759, was fought between the British Army and Royal Navy, and the French Army, on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec City....
  • The Battlefields Park
    The Battlefields Park

    The Battlefields Park includes the Plains of Abraham with Des Braves Park, both within Quebec City, and forms one of the few Canada national urban parks....


External links

  • virtual museum