French and Indians besiege Fort William Henry

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)
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The French and their Huron allies under the Marquis de Montcalm besieged British and colonial troops in Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George in what is now Upper New York State. The Fort surrendered on 9 August 1757 and its loss was seen as deeply threatening to the British colonies since French strategy was to reach the headwaters of the Hudson and then capture New York.

As a condition of the surrender, the garrison was given safe-conduct to return to Britain on agreement that they should take no further part in the war, but the baggage train was attacked by Hurons wanting scalps and booty as a reward for the support they had provided. The massacre became a notorious example of “French perfidy” and “Indian savagery” in the English colonies.

As a condition of the…

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "French and Indians besiege Fort William Henry". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 April 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4116, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4116 French and Indians besiege Fort William Henry 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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