William Shirley

Appointed colonial governor of Massachusetts in 1741, William Shirley led British military forces in challenging France for colonial dominance in North America. As tensions mounted between Britain and France, he served as military strategist and diplomat. In 1744, during King George’s War (1744–48), Shirley successfully organized an attack on the French fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia.

After the war ended in 1748, Shirley participated in boundary negotiations with the French in London, where Thomas Hudson painted this portrait. The ships in the background recall Shirley’s use of naval forces during the war. At the outset of the French and Indian War in 1755, Shirley briefly commanded the British forces in North America. A year later, he was stripped of his positions as commander and governor due to his military failings and accusations of financial misconduct. Ultimately exonerated, Shirley became governor of the Bahamas.