Episode 2: "Tides of War: Victories, Defeats, and Turning Points"

The second episode chronicles the dramatic middle phase of the war as Britain's fortunes reverse under William Pitt's leadership. Alex explores the pivotal year of 1759—Britain's "annus mirabilis"—focusing on General James Wolfe's daring assault on Quebec and the decisive fifteen-minute battle on the Plains of Abraham that cost both Wolfe and his French counterpart Montcalm their lives. The episode also examines the controversial deportation of Acadian settlers, the brutal realities of frontier warfare exemplified by the Fort William Henry massacre, and the indigenous resistance to expanding British power that culminated in Pontiac's War, revealing how victory sowed the seeds of Britain's colonial challenges to come.