, Canada
1686 - De Troyes and D'Iberville capture three English posts on James Bay (June-July).

Between June and July 1686, French military officers Pierre de Troyes and Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville led a daring expedition against English outposts on James Bay, part of the Hudson Bay trading region. The campaign was launched during a period of intense competition between France and England for control of the fur trade in North America, with both powers seeking to dominate the lucrative trade in beaver pelts and other furs.

De Troyes and d’Iberville’s force, composed largely of Canadian voyageurs and Indigenous allies, traveled overland from Montreal through challenging wilderness routes, demonstrating remarkable endurance and strategic planning. They successfully captured three key English trading posts, including Rupert House, Moose Factory, and Fort Albany, securing French control over large portions of the southern James Bay area. These victories disrupted English trade networks, strengthened French influence among local Indigenous trading partners, and showcased the growing capability of New France to project military power deep into contested territory.

The 1686 campaign had lasting consequences for the struggle over North America’s fur trade. By capturing the English posts, the French temporarily shifted the balance of power in the region, asserting their claim to northern trading routes and reinforcing the role of military force in economic competition. It also enhanced the reputations of both de Troyes and d’Iberville, who would continue to play prominent roles in French military and colonial efforts, and underscored the ongoing volatility and contestation that characterized European colonial rivalry in the late 17th century.

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