French fortifications in the Caribbean against the attacks of the Seven Years’ War

Abstract

The attacks on French settlements in the Caribbean during the Seven Years War can be considered an experiment prior to the one on Havana, probably the most significant victory of the conflict in the area. To reach this conclusion, this article analyzes the state of defensive constructions in Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica and Saint Lucia. To this end, fortification projects deposited in different archives have been consulted, in addition to the architectural remains still preserved. Subsequently, the different British attacks developed between 1759 and 1762 are examined from primary sources, assessing the relevance of the fortifications in the result.