Known as ‘Annus Mirabilis’ meaning a remarkable or marvellous year, in Britain the year 1759 could easily have been called the ‘Year of Victories’. Already fighting in the Seven Years’ War, the power struggle between British and French forces for domination continued to determine events.
Britain was securing victories across battlefields and continents, thus ensuring its place as an up-and-coming superpower.
Aside from military successes, the year 1759 also saw a flourishing social and cultural scene continue to grow and develop. The year began with the opening of the British Museum at Montagu House in Bloomsbury. Open to the general public, the personal collection amassed by Sir Hans Sloane marked the starting point of what would soon be a burgeoning collection of artefacts and materials which were accumulated as a result of Britain’s unabated imperial expansion.
Other notable cultural events included the creation of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Princess Augusta who was mother to the future King George III, founded the nine-acre botanic garden within the pleasure grounds at Kew. Over the years it would continue to grow its collection and today is still one of the most visited tourist sites in London.
Meanwhile, the arts and crafts scene was thriving, in large part as a result of developing techniques and innovations. In May 1759, the famous Wedgewood pottery was founded by the entrepreneur and potter Josiah Wedgewood and quickly developed into a successful and large-scale manufacturer of Staffordshire pottery, pioneering new designs which it exported across the globe.
Likewise, there was a proliferation of literature with key works being produced in the field of fiction, ethics and philosophy. The Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith produced ‘The Theory of Moral Sentiments’ which served as a precursor to his most famous work ‘The Wealth of Nations’.
Many writers of the day were drawn to the analysis and discussion of ethical issues which were evoked by continued imperialist expansion.
Samuel Johnson, was at the time a famous playwright, essayist, poet and literary critic who only a few years earlier had published ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’ which defined his permanent status as a scholar. Four years after its publication, Johnson produced ‘The History of Rasselas’, a book which was deeply philosophical in nature and dealt with issues relating to life choices. Similar, to his French counterpart Voltaire in the novel ‘Candide’, Johnson examines human suffering and questions the possibility of attaining happiness.
Thus, 1759 was a critical juncture on the literary scene with writers evoking a plethora of philosophical and moral issues as the nation continued to gain more economic, military and imperial prestige.
By 1759, Britain and France were locked in a battle for international supremacy, one which would create numerous theatres of war on several continents. One such place which played host to this colonial contest was India.
In Masulipatam, eight years prior, the French had seized possession of the town and built defences however the British were keen to extract them from the area and in 1759 launched the siege of Masulipatam, beginning on the 6th March and lasting almost a month before British troops were able to storm the town on the 7th April.
This victory proved crucial in helping to relieve the Siege of Madras which was being held by the British but had been under siege by the French since December 1758. Fortunately for the British, the garrison was able to hold out until it was relieved and thus secured a strategic victory in Madras during the Annus Mirabilis.
Later in the year, the Battle of Pondicherry took place off the coast of India, fought between French Admiral d’Aché and the British under Vice-Admiral George Pocock.
Whilst the outcome of the battle proved to be inconclusive, the French squadron achieved their aim of supplying reinforcements however this proved insufficient to challenge the growing power of the British in India.
Whilst tactical victories had been secured by the French, Comte de Lally refused to use sepoys thus giving Britain the military advantage. As a result, their growing need for troop numbers was left unfulfilled, whilst the British bolstered their forces with local men.
Meanwhile, far away from the Indian subcontinent, Britain made a strategic gain when it captured the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe from the French in May 1759. Concluding a six month long struggle, the island formally surrendered to the British, just days before a French relief force was due to arrive.
This attack on French Caribbean territories was part of a larger strategy to deal with the fighting on European soil.
In order to divert French troops away from Germany, William Pitt gave the orders to attack France and its possessions wherever and whenever possible.
One of the main stages of combat was in North America, known as the French and Indian War, the British and French rivalry played out across the continent, particularly in Canada where British forces sought to remove French control.
In July 1759, the Battle of Fort Niagara was fought out between the two rivals as the British laid siege, ultimately securing victory when the French were forced to capitulate. In time many more forts were abandoned by the French as they recalled their garrisons and withdrew to more populated locations.
This was a great victory for the British as part of their wider campaign to extricate French domination of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, with Fort Niagara serving as an important supply point between these locations.
The British also had their sights set on Fort Carillon, built by the French and located at the southern end of Lake Champlain in northern New York, the stage was set for another crucial battle. Occupying a vital location for trade routes between the British-controlled Hudson River Valley and the French-controlled Saint Lawrence River Valley, the British had attempted an attack which the French had subdued. Now they returned once more and this time were successful, driving a French garrison out of the fort and laying claim to it. It was now under the control of General Amherst and was renamed Ticonderoga, a name deriving from the Iroquois.
In the same month, the British began a siege of Quebec which would last three months before ending in a decisive battle (known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham/Battle of Quebec) which cemented the fate of New France and paved the way for the subsequent creation of Canada.
Leading this triumph was British General James Wolfe who commanded his troops against French troops and Canadian militia under General Louis-Joseph, Marquis Montcalm. During the hour long battle, both generals succumbed to fatal injuries however the British were able to take the city and force the French to evacuate.
Whilst the French would make attempts the following year to recapture Quebec, they proved unsuccessful and in time the British also managed to conquer Montreal leading to the signing of the Articles of Capitulation which observed the formal surrender of the colony of Canada to the British in 1760.
Benjamin West’s historic painting, ‘The Death of General Wolfe’ encapsulated and commemorated this British victory which represented a larger triumph of the imperial might of Great Britain.
Meanwhile closer to home, Europe did not escape from the conflict as the British caught wind of a French plot to invade Britain. In response, the British launched a two-day naval bombardment on Le Havre commanded by Rear-Admiral George Rodney which proved successful in hampering French efforts to invade, as many of the invasion barges which had been gathered were subsequently destroyed.
On the continent, allied Anglo-German forces under the command of Prussian Field Marshal Ferdinand of Brunswick managed to defeat the French at the Battle of Minden. Two years prior, the French had invaded Hanover and made attempts to impose a treaty on the allied forces which included Britain, Hanover and Prussia.
The battle saw six regiments of British and two Hanoverian infantry push back against repeated attacks from the French cavalry. Eventually despite setbacks, the allied forces were able to force the French army into retreat, thus impeding French designs on Hanover.
Further south in Europe, the Mediterranean played host to further Anglo-French rivalries as the French Toulon fleet set sail through the Straits of Gibraltar.
A battle ensued off the coast of the Gulf of Cádiz on 18th August and to the east of the Portuguese port of Lagos the following day.
Known as the Battle of Lagos, the British sighted the French fleet after it had passed Gibraltar and then subsequently chased the fleet down in a pursuit which ended in a fierce naval battle resulting in several damaged ships.
A few months later, nearing the end of the year, Britain was keen to deal a considerable blow to French naval domination as well as capitalise on its recent successes both on land and sea.
In the Battle of Quiberon Bay, the Royal Navy engaged with the French Navy off the coast of France near Saint-Nazaire. Consisting of twenty-four ships under Sir Edward Hawke, the French fleet did battle with their rivals and after a period of serious conflict were forced to capitulate to the British who could boast of capturing one French ship, sinking six and scattering the rest.
The final battle of the year proved conclusive, the French fleet permanently thwarted by British attacks and forced to abandon their invasion plans. Meanwhile, Britain was securing its status as a naval powerhouse as well as making significant gains on the ground as its imperial reach continued to stretch further and further.
Annus Mirabilis, the year 1759, was a year of triumphs for Britain, both on land and at sea, faraway across distant continents and closer to home, Britain’s star was on the ascent. Whilst not without setbacks, the year proved to be decisive in setting the groundwork for further gains, successes and victories both on and off the battlefield.
Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical.
Published: 22nd January 2025.
