Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst was born on January 29, 1717. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) was a British Army officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. He is credited as the architect of Britain's successful campaign to conquer the territory of New France during the Seven Years' War. He was also the first British governor general in the territories that eventually became Canada. Son of a lawyer from Kent, Amherst enlisted in the Grenadier Guards in 1735 and first saw active service during the War of the Austrian Succession. Early in the Seven Years' War, he conducted the successful siege at Louisbourg, and was appointed commander-in-chief in North America in its wake. Under his command, British forces went on to capture Quebec, Montreal and several major fortresses, bringing an end to French rule in North America. He was named Governor-General of British North America in 1760 and received a knighthood a year later. In early 1763, in response to Amherst's policies, a confederation of Native Americans launched what came to be known as Pontiac's War. His handling of the uprising provoked criticism and led to his recall to Britain, and he was subsequently replaced as commander-in-chief in North America by Thomas Gage. Amherst was created a peer in 1776, and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army on two occasions, under which capacity he oversaw the suppression of the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in London. He retired a field marshal in 1796 and died a year later at the age of 80. Numerous places in Canada and the United States are named after Amherst. His modern legacy is controversial due to his expressed desire to spread smallpox among the indigenous people during Pontiac's War, which has led to a push to remove his name from various locales and institutions.