Life in the American Colonies Rivalry in North America Chapter 5, Lesson 4

Rivalry Between the French and the British Essential Question: Why does conflict develop? Britain and France are leading world powers in the 1700s Monarchs across Europe competed for wealth and empire – in North America competition was very strong When the British began to show interest in the Ohio River Valley in the mid- 1750s, the competition got ugly England felt it had a right to the rich land beyond the Appalachians The French and their Native American allies disagreed

Rivalry Between the French and the British Essential Question: Why does conflict develop? To protect their land claims in the frontier, the French built a chain of forts from Lake Ontario to the Ohio River The British responded by beginning construction of their own fort in western Pennsylvania – before they could finish construction, the French seized it and named it Fort Duquesne A Virginia militia was raised in the spring of 1754 to drive out the French However, the Virginia militia, led by Major George Washington was defeated by the French and their Native American allies

Rivalry Between the French and the British – Quick Check What issue sparked conflict between the French and the British in North America? Both claimed rights to the Ohio River Valley What steps did both countries take to protect their claims? The French built forts from Lake Ontario south to the Ohio River. The British began to build a fort in Western Pennsylvania What was significant about the loss of Fort Duquesne? The French seized the site and built yet another fort, adding to the numerous forts they already had

Rivalry Between the French and the British Native American Allies As events in Europe edged towards the Seven Years War, the conflict in North America escalated – both the French and British looked to Native American alliances for help The French had already developed alliances with their Native American trade partners who helped them raid British settlements However, many Native Americans did not trust the land-hungry British British colonists attempted to negotiate a treaty of alliance with the Iroquois Confederacy, the most powerful group of tribes in eastern North America, but were unsuccessful

Rivalry Between the French and the British Native American Allies In 1754, delegates to Albany, New York, attempted for the first time to unite the colonies against the French threat The delegates adopted Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union for a united colonial government, However, when colonial assemblies voted on the plan, not one accepted it The colonial assemblies rejected the Albany Plan because they were unwilling to surrender their autonomy to a central governing body

Rivalry Between the French and the British Why are colony names missing? Only seven colonies sent delegates What does this political cartoon suggest? Alone, the colonies won’t survive

The French and Indian War What was the turning point in the French and Indian War? Early in the war, the French were successful in capturing several British forts while their Native American allies carried out bloody raids along the frontier The turning point in the war came in 1757, when William Pitt became Prime Minister of England and took control of the war effort He sent seasoned British troops to the colonies to help fight the French in North America Pitt was not satisfied with gaining control of the Ohio River Valley, he set his sights on conquering all of French Canada

The French and Indian War What was the turning point in the French and Indian War? After key victories in Nova Scotia and at Lake Ontario in 1758, Another British force recaptured Fort Duquesne and renamed it Fort Pitt The British went on to capture Quebec, the capital of New France, in September of 1759 and Montreal the following year The fall of Quebec and Montreal meant defeat for the French in North America The Seven Years War would continue between France and England and their allies in Europe until, in February of 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed finally ending the war

The French and Indian War What can you tell form the map about how the British attacked Montreal? They attacked from three directions Why do you think Quebec and Montreal are related to French Dominance in the Ohio River Valley? They controlled access to the St. Lawrence River and the Great lakes River St. Lawrence

The French and Indian War What was the turning point in the French and Indian War? The Treaty of Paris forced France to give up claims to Canada and its territories west of the Mississippi River to Britain Britain also received Florida from Britain’s ally, Spain In return, Spain received the Louisiana Territory and the port of New Orleans The Treaty of Paris marked the end of France as a power in North America – now only Britain and Spain held claims in North America

New British Policies How did the American colonists react to new British policies? Native Americans were dealt a serious blow with the defeat of France The British raised the prices of their trade goods with the Native Americans and refused to pay Native Americans for the use of their land Worst still, American colonists began settling in Native American lands

New British Policies How did the American colonists react to new British policies? Native Americans like Pontiac saw the settlers as a threat to their way of life In May of 1763, Pontiac and his forces captured the British fort at Detroit and began killing settlers and burning settlements along the Pennsylvania and Virginia frontiers After being forced to deal with the Native American revolt, King George III of England declared, in the Proclamation of 1763, that settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains was not permitted Colonists believed the Proclamation unfairly limited their freedom of movement

New British Policies How did the American colonists react to new British policies? For the British, the Proclamation of 1763 had a two-fold purpose: it removed a source of conflict with Native Americans, and kept the colonists on the coast were they could be controlled To enforce the Proclamation, King George sent 10,000 British troops to the colonies which caused resentment among the colonists Financial problems resulting from the long and costly Seven Years War led England to make plans to tax the colonies and to tighten its trade policies The end of the French and Indian War led to the beginning of the American Revolutionary Era