Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst

The Right Honourable Field Marshal The Lord Amherst KB
Portrait by Joshua Reynolds
Commander-in-Chief, North America
In office 1758–1763
Crown Governor of Virginia
In office 1759–1768
Monarchs	George II George III
Preceded by	The Earl of Loudoun
Succeeded by	The Lord Botetourt
Governor of the Province of Quebec
In office 1760–1763
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	Post created, replacing the French post of Governor General of New France
Succeeded by	James Murray
Personal details
Born	(1717-01-29)29 January 1717 Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Died	3 August 1797(1797-08-03) (aged 80) Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Resting place	Parish Church, Sevenoaks
Awards	Order of the Bath
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1735–1795
Rank	Field marshal
Commands	15th Regiment of Foot North America 62nd (Royal American) Regiment 3rd Regiment of Foot Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance Commander-in-Chief of the Forces 2nd Troop Horse Grenadier Guards The Queen's Troop of Horse Guards 2nd Regiment of Life Guards
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War Pontiac's Rebellion American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars

Field Marshal Jeffery^{[n 1]} Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, KB (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) was a British Army officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the British Army. Amherst is credited as the architect of Britain's successful campaign to conquer the territory of New France during the Seven Years' War. Under his command, British forces captured the cities of Louisbourg, Quebec City and Montreal, as well as several major fortresses. He was also the first British governor general in the territories that eventually became Canada. Numerous places and streets are named after him, in both Canada and the United States.

Amherst's legacy is controversial due to his expressed desire to spread smallpox 'among the disaffected tribes of Indians' during Pontiac's War. This has led to a reconsideration of his legacy. In 2019, the city of Montreal removed his name from a street, renaming it Rue Atateken, from the Kanien'kéha Mohawk language.^[1]

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