King William's War

North America at the end of the 17th century

On the eve of the conflict, English settlers numbered more than 154,000, giving them a twelvefold advantage over the French population. Yet this apparent strength was undercut by fragmentation, since the colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast without any efficient means of working together. The Glorious Revolution further complicated matters, stirring up friction among the colonists. Compounding these problems, the English suffered from a shortage of capable military leaders and struggled to maintain smooth relations with their Iroquois allies.

Across the border, New France was split into three separate territories. Acadia sat along the Atlantic coastline, Canada extended along the Saint Lawrence River up toward the Great Lakes, and Louisiana ran from the Great Lakes down through the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf of Mexico. By 1689, the French population stood at only 14,000, a fraction of their rivals' numbers. Despite this numerical disadvantage, the French benefited from stronger political unity and an unusually high proportion of adult men with military experience among their ranks. Recognizing how badly they were outnumbered, they cultivated alliances with indigenous peoples as a way to strengthen their forces, while also relying heavily on swift, hit-and-run tactics in their military engagements.

Written by Aubrey Research from King William's War on Wikipedia, cited as a reference and not reproduced.

Where these engagements were fought

All 39 are placed on the map. Select a marker to see the engagement.

Notable engagements

Plus 27 further documented engagements in the King William's War record.

By state

Engagements and locations are compiled from published sources: Wikipedia (text rewritten and cited as a reference, CC BY-SA 4.0); Sylvester, Indian Wars of New England (1910) (public domain).