Expecting the French to help take Quebec...
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April 06, 1780
THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, April 6, 1780
* American Revolutionary War
* French troops & Quebec
The back page has a report which notes: "We are informed that there are accounts received in town within these few days from America which signify that Congress are in speedy expectation of a large body of French troops which are to co-operate with their army in attempting the conquest of Quebec this summer."
Other news of the day, mostly European, and some ads as well. Eight pages, 9 by 12 inches, never bound nor trimmed, very nice condition.
Background: This report highlights a critical pivot point in the American Revolutionary War: the arrival of the French Expédition Particulière under the Comte de Rochambeau, while simultaneously illustrating the vital role of military deception and intelligence warfare in 1780. While the paragraph accurately predicts the "speedy expectation of a large body of French troops"—who would land in Rhode Island in July 1780 and ultimately prove decisive in trapping Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown—the claim that they intended to conquer Quebec was a brilliant piece of strategic misdirection. George Washington actively fostered these rumors of a Canadian invasion to force the British to divide their forces and keep General Henry Clinton defensive in New York, effectively using the British press as an unintended vehicle for American disinformation. Furthermore, the publication of this rumor in The London Chronicle underscores the deep anxiety of the British public and political establishment, who by 1780 realized that France's entry had transformed a colonial rebellion into a costly, exhausting global conflict.
* American Revolutionary War
* French troops & Quebec
The back page has a report which notes: "We are informed that there are accounts received in town within these few days from America which signify that Congress are in speedy expectation of a large body of French troops which are to co-operate with their army in attempting the conquest of Quebec this summer."
Other news of the day, mostly European, and some ads as well. Eight pages, 9 by 12 inches, never bound nor trimmed, very nice condition.
Background: This report highlights a critical pivot point in the American Revolutionary War: the arrival of the French Expédition Particulière under the Comte de Rochambeau, while simultaneously illustrating the vital role of military deception and intelligence warfare in 1780. While the paragraph accurately predicts the "speedy expectation of a large body of French troops"—who would land in Rhode Island in July 1780 and ultimately prove decisive in trapping Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown—the claim that they intended to conquer Quebec was a brilliant piece of strategic misdirection. George Washington actively fostered these rumors of a Canadian invasion to force the British to divide their forces and keep General Henry Clinton defensive in New York, effectively using the British press as an unintended vehicle for American disinformation. Furthermore, the publication of this rumor in The London Chronicle underscores the deep anxiety of the British public and political establishment, who by 1780 realized that France's entry had transformed a colonial rebellion into a costly, exhausting global conflict.
Item from last month's catalog - #365 - released for April, 2026
Category: Revolutionary War
