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P5016

ID Number: P5016
Item Name: image
Maker: Reynolds, Joshua, Sir
Title: Portrait of Jeffery Amherst
Description: portrait of Lord Jeffery Amherst by Sir Joshua Reynolds; he is wearing red British 18th century uniform;
History: Jeffery Amherst (1717-1797) was an officer in the British army during the Seven Years' War. He was highly regarded by British officials and quickly rose to high ranks in the military and government. The town of Amherstburg is named after him. Under Amherst, tensions between the British and First Nations in the Great Lakes region increased. His attitude and contempt towards native peoples led to one of the earliest uses of biological warfare, suggesting to Col. Henry Bouquet sending blankets infected with smallpox to the Indians - "Could it not be contrived to send the Small Pox among those disaffected tribes of Indians?" His correspondence is reflective of his animosity towards Indigenous peoples In a later letter to Bouquet Amherst repeats the idea: "You will do well to try to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race."
Collection Name: Museum Windsor
Subject (Fre): N

Subjects

Amherst, Sir Jeffery

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