View source for Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst

==Seven Years' War==
=== Germany ===
{{Further|Great Britain in the Seven Years War}}

{{Main|Invasion of Hanover (1757)}}
In February 1756, Amherst was appointed [[commissariat|commissar]] to the [[Hesse|Hessian]] forces that had been assembled to defend [[Hanover]] as part of the [[Hanoverian Army of Observation|Army of Observation]]: as it appeared likely a French invasion attempt against Britain itself was imminent, Amherst was ordered in April to arrange the transportation of thousands of the Germans to southern England to bolster Britain's defences.<ref>Mayo pp. 34–37</ref> He was made colonel of the [[East Yorkshire Regiment|15th Regiment of Foot]] on 12 June 1756.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=9590|page=2|date=8 June 1756}}</ref> By 1757 as the immediate danger to Britain had passed the troops were moved back to Hanover to join a growing army under the Duke of Cumberland and Amherst fought with the Hessians under Cumberland's command at the [[Battle of Hastenbeck]] in July 1757:<ref name=heath24/> the Allied defeat there forced the army into a steady retreat northwards to [[Stade]] near the [[North Sea]] coast.<ref>Mayo pp. 37–38</ref>

Amherst was left dispirited by the retreat and by the [[Convention of Klosterzeven]] by which [[Hanover]] agreed to withdraw from the war: he began to prepare to disband the Hessian troops under his command, only to receive word that the Convention had been repudiated and the Allied force was being reformed.<ref>Mayo pp. 40–42</ref>
=== French and Indian War ===

Amherst gained fame during the [[Seven Years' War]], particularly in the North American campaign known in the United States as the [[French and Indian War]] when he led the British [[Siege of Louisbourg (1758)|attack on Louisbourg]] on [[Cape Breton Island]] in June 1758.<ref name=heath24/>

In the wake of this action, he was appointed [[Commander-in-Chief, North America|commander-in-chief of the British army in North America]] and colonel-in-chief of the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps|60th (Royal American) Regiment]] in September 1758.<ref name=heath24/> Amherst then led an army against French troops on [[Lake Champlain]], where he [[Battle of Ticonderoga (1759)|captured Fort Ticonderoga]] in July 1759, while another army under [[Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet|William Johnson]] [[Battle of Fort Niagara|took Niagara]] also in July 1759 and [[James Wolfe]] besieged and eventually [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham|captured Quebec]] with a third army in September 1759.<ref name=heath24/> Amherst served as the nominal [[List of colonial governors of Virginia|Crown Governor of Virginia]] from 12 September 1759.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=9930|page=1|date=11 September 1759}}</ref>

[[Image:1760 Canada Surrender byThomasFoxcroft Boston.jpg|thumb|''Grateful Reflexions on the Signal Appearances of Divine Providence for Great Britain and its Colonies in America.'' 1760]]

From July 1760, Amherst led an army down the [[Saint Lawrence River]] from [[Fort Oswego]], joined with [[James Murray (Quebec governor)|Brigadier Murray]] from Quebec and [[William Haviland|Brigadier Haviland]] from [[Ile-aux-Noix]] in a three-way pincer,<ref name=park/> and captured [[Montreal]], ending French rule in North America on 8 September.<ref name=heath24/> He infuriated the French commanders by refusing them the [[honours of war]]; the [[Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis|Chevalier de Lévis]] burned the [[Military colours|colours]] rather than surrendering them,<ref>Hayes, p. 77</ref> to highlight his differences with [[Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial|Vaudreuil]] for later political advantage back in France.<ref name=park/>

The British settlers were relieved and proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. Boston newspapers recount how the occasion was celebrated with a parade, a grand dinner in [[Faneuil Hall]], music, bonfires, and firing of cannon. The Rev. [[Thomas Foxcroft (minister)|Thomas Foxcroft]] of the [[First Church in Boston]] offered thus:<ref name=park>Parkman, Francis: "Montcalm and Wolfe"</ref>

{{blockquote|The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad... Long had it been the common opinion, ''Delenda est Carthago'', Canada must be conquered, or we could hope for no lasting quiet in these parts; and now, through the good hand of our God upon us, we see the happy day of its accomplishment. We behold His Majesty's victorious troops treading upon the high places of the enemy, their last fortress delivered up, and the whole country surrendered to the King of Britain in the person of his general, the intrepid, the serene, the successful Amherst.}}

In recognition of this victory, Amherst was appointed [[List of Governors General of Canada|Governor-General of British North America]] in September 1760<ref name=heath24/> and promoted to [[major-general]] on 29 November 1760.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=10056|page=11|date=25 November 1760}}</ref> He was appointed [[Order of the Bath|Knight of the Order of the Bath]] on 11 April 1761.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=10094|page=2|date=7 April 1761}}</ref>

From his base at New York, Amherst oversaw the dispatch of troops under [[Robert Monckton|Monckton]] and [[William Haviland|Haviland]]<ref name=havi>{{cite DCB |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/haviland_william_4E.html |title=Haviland, William |first=John D. |last=Krugler |access-date=24 January 2010 |ref=Krugler|volume=4}}</ref> to take part in British expeditions in the [[West Indies]] that led to the British capture of [[Dominica]] in 1761 and [[Martinique]] and [[Cuba]] in 1762.<ref name=odnb/>