Fortress Louisbourg is a reconstruction of a
French fortress located on
Cape Breton Island in the province of
Nova Scotia. Originally established in
1713,
Louisburg was settled by the French to provide access to the nearby cod fishing grounds following the
Treaty of Utrecht (1713). It became the capital of Îsle Royale (Cape Breton) in
1718.
In
1748, a force from
New England captured the fortress.
Louisbourg was returned to the French by the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle before the end of the year.
Another
The British expedition under General
Jeffrey Amherst captured it in
1757, and finally destroyed the fortifications at Louisbourg in
1760.
Fortress Louisbourg has been designated a Canadian National Historic Site.