Episode 246: BFW Road Trip: Montréal, Château Ramezay

Did Canada almost join the American Revolution?

Bruno Paul Stenson, a historian and musicologist with the Château de Ramezay historic site in Montréal, joins us to discuss how the American Revolution played out in Canada.

This episode originally posted as Episode 041.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.

Episode Summary

Bruno Paul Stenson, a historian and musicologist with the Château de Ramezay historic site in Montréal, joins us to discuss how the American Revolution played out in Canada.

During our conversation, Bruno reveals information about Canada’s French history; the founding of Montréal and its importance to the colony of New France; And the role the Château de Ramezay played during the American Revolution.

What You’ll Discover

  • Musicology and the work of a musicologist
  • French settlement of New France
  • Information about the colonists of New France
  • Founding of Montréal and its role in the French fur trade
  • Relationships between the colonists of New France and Native American peoples
  • Claude de Ramezay and his decision to build the Château de Ramezay
  • Information about what it cost to build a house in early Montréal
  • What the Château de Ramezay looked like in early 1700s
  • Description of Montréal’s appearance in the early 18th century
  • Information about the Notre Dame Cathedral of Montréal
  • The Montréal Fire of 1721
  • Information about the Compagnie des Indes Orientales
  • How the Compagnie des Indes Orientales came to occupy the Château de Ramezay
  • Compagnie des Indes Orientales and the slave trade
  • The role of the Château de Ramezay during American occupation in 1775-1776
  • The American Revolution in Canada
  • How Canadians felt about the American Revolution and the American invasion of Canada
  • Details about the American attack on Québec in 1775
  • Information about the diplomatic mission of Charles Carroll, Samuel Chase, and Benjamin Franklin
  • How Montréal got its first English-speaking newspaper printer
  • History of the Château de Ramezay after the American Revolution
  • What you will see at the Château de Ramezay
  • Why Bruno thinks the Château de Ramezay is on UNESCO’s 1,001 historic sites everyone should see
  • Details about the Quebec Act of 1774
  • Special events at the Château de Ramezay

 

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Time Warp PlainTime Warp Question

In your opinion what might have happened if the Americans had held Montréal in 1776? Do you think Québec would have become the 14th state of the United States?

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