In 1775, political and economic concerns led the inhabitants of Britain’s 13 American colonies to rise up in revolt. The subsequent conflict divided families and communities across North America.
This 18th-century conflict was caused by the question of Maria Theresa’s succession to the Austrian crown. During the war, British troops proved their worth as soldiers. But the armies in which they served enjoyed mixed fortunes on the battlefield.
Thomas Davies' watercolour, ‘An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara’ (1762), documents the struggle for control of North America and illuminates the history of British exploration and science.
Soldiers who fought on horseback were known as cavalry. Often dominating the battlefield, they performed a variety of roles, from smashing enemy formations to scouting and reconnoitring.
A courageous, resourceful and ruthless military commander, Major-General Robert Clive helped secure India for Britain. But he was also seen as a greedy speculator who used his political and military influence to amass a fortune.
Major-General James Wolfe was one of Britain’s most celebrated military heroes. But his death at the moment of his greatest victory at Quebec in 1759 earned him a reputation as a patriotic martyr.
The Jacobites, supporters of King James II and his descendants, sought to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne. In 1715, 1719 and 1745 they tried to overthrow the ruling Hanoverian Royal Family.
The campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough in the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13) stopped France from dominating Europe. They also brought about the first popular recognition of the British Army’s fighting powers.
The Battle of Quebec in 1759 was one of Britain's greatest victories of the Seven Years War (1756-63). Major-General James Wolfe’s triumph ultimately led to the British conquest of Canada.
The Battle of Culloden, the climax of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, was fought near Inverness on 16 April 1746. It finally settled a contest for the British monarchy that had lasted almost 60 years.
