Why did James Wolfe choose to land British troops at L’Anse-au-Foulon?

James Wolfe chose to land his troops at L’Anse-au-Foulon to establish a position upriver from the city of Quebec. By landing an invasion force there, the British aimed to cut the city off from Montreal, thereby compelling the French army under the marquis de Montcalm to abandon their defensive positions and engage in an open battle.1

After previous attempts to lure the French out of their fortified positions at Beauport had failed, the British command sought a new strategy. Following the successful navigation of British ships past the city's batteries, they identified L’Anse-au-Foulon as a suitable landing site. Although the location required scaling a 170-foot cliff, the area was only lightly defended, allowing the British to surprise the French on the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759.21