General Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester

Book excerpt: "General Sir Guy Carleton, First Baron Dorchester, was one of Great Britain's most important imperial servants in the latter half of the eighteenth century, playing a decisive part in the early history of British Canada. From 1759 to 1796, he served both as a soldier and a Royal governor in Canada, helping to mold that province's future in government and on the battlefield. He was with General James Wolfe at Quebec in 1759, and seven years later was appointed governor of the newly acquired British territory. He helped to shape the Quebec Act of 1774, and was on duty in Quebec when the American Revolutionary War commenced in 1775." "In 1782, he was appointed commander in chief of the British Army in America. He effected the British withdrawal from the United States in 1783. Three years later, after being elevated to the peerage as Baron Dorchester, Carleton reassumed the governorship of Canada. He implemented policies of defense against encroachments by American General Anthony Wayne in 1793-94, and in the latter year set in motion British withdrawals from America's Northwest Territory. In the process, he lost the confidence of his superiors in London; thus he resigned the governorship in 1796 and returned home for the final time. He lived for more than a decade in comfort on his extensive English estates, but his last years were marred by the deaths of many of his children." "Nelson attempts in this biography to settle controversial issues about Carleton's life."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved