Editing Fort Frontenac (section)

===Battle of Fort Frontenac===
{{main|Battle of Fort Frontenac}}
[[Image:Battle of Fort Frontenac.jpg|thumb|British forces [[Battle of Fort Frontenac|besieged the French at Fort Frontenac]] in 1758, during the [[Seven Years' War]].]]
During the [[Seven Years' War]] between Britain and France, who were vying for control of the North American continent, the British considered Fort Frontenac to be a strategic threat since it was in a position to command transportation and communications to other French fortifications and outposts along the St. Lawrence – Great Lakes water route and in the Ohio Valley. Although not as important as it once was, the fort was still a base from which the western outposts were supplied. The British reasoned that if they were to disable the fort, supplies would be cut off and the outposts would no longer be able to defend themselves. The trade with [[North American Indian|Indian]] trade in the upper country (the ''[[Pays d'en Haut]]'') would also be disrupted.<ref>Anderson 2000, p. 264.</ref>

Fort Frontenac was also regarded as a threat to Fort Oswego, which had been built by the British across the lake from Fort Frontenac in 1722 to compete with Fort Frontenac for the Indian trade, and later enhanced as a military establishment. General Montcalm had already used Fort Frontenac as a staging point to [[Battle of Fort Oswego|attack]] the fortifications at Oswego in August 1756.
[[File:MHSFortFrontenac.jpg|thumb|left|A 1763 map showing the British positions during the battle.]]
The British also hoped that taking the well-known fort would boost troop morale and honour after their demoralizing battle defeat at [[Fort Ticonderoga]] (Fort Carillon) in July 1758.<ref name="Chartrand">Chartrand 2001.</ref><ref>Anderson 2000, p. 260.</ref>

In August 1758, the British under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel [[John Bradstreet]] left Fort Oswego with a force of a little over 3,000 men and attacked Fort Frontenac. The fort's garrison was a mere 110 persons, including five officers and 48 enlisted men of the regular colonial troops, plus employees, women, children, eight Indians, and others commanded by Pierre-Jacques Payen de Noyan et de Chavoy.<ref name="Chartrand"/> The garrison surrendered and was allowed to leave; Bradstreet captured the fort's supplies and nine French naval vessels, and destroyed much of the fort. He quickly departed to avoid further conflict with any French support troops.

For the British, the victory meant that Fort Oswego was secured, and the army's reputation was restored.<ref name="Chartrand"/> For the French, the fort's loss was considered to be only a temporary setback.<ref name="Chartrand"/> Fort Frontenac's surrender did not succeed in completely severing French communications and transportation to the west since other routes were available (e.g. the Ottawa River – Lake Huron route).<ref name="Chartrand"/> Supplies could also be moved west from other French posts (e.g. [[Fort de La Présentation]]).<ref name="Chartrand"/> In the long term, however, the surrender compromised French prestige among the Indians and contributed to the defeat of New France in North America.<ref>Biography of John Bradstreet</ref> Since the fort was no longer perceived to be important to the French, it was never rebuilt and was left abandoned for the next 25 years.<ref name="Chartrand"/>

French imperial power was waning in the late 1750s, and by 1763 France had withdrawn from the North American mainland. Cataraqui and the remains of Fort Frontenac were relinquished to the British at the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]].