The Military Empire

New England

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American Colonies Raided

The declaration of war between France and Great Britain in 1744 moved the main theatre of military conflict from the North American heartland to the east. Many raids were mounted from Canada on the British colonies in western Massachusetts and Connecticut and in the province of New York north of Albany, in order to block their expansion. Most of these attacks were carried out by small groups of Abenakis or Mohawks allied with the French, although Canadian soldiers and militiamen occasionally took part. For instance, Saratoga, in what is now the state of New York, was hit in November 1745 and then again in the summer of 1746 by powerful expeditions from Canada led by Commandant Paul Marin de la Malgue.