The French and Indian War

France Builds a Colony  French society took a turn towards unity with the passage of the Edict of Nantes in  It granted limited toleration to French Protestants, ceasing religious wars.  King Louis XIV had a vested interest in colonial expansion  Though Samuel de Champlain had established a colony in Quebec, French peasants had little incentive to move.  Protestant Huguenots (persecuted for their religious beliefs) were barred from the colony.  The major economic resource found in the French territory was the beaver.  French fur-trappers (known as coureurs de bois ) recruited Native Americans to fulfill demand.

Stopping the Neighbors  Bordered by both English and Spanish colonies, France defended its territory from invasion.  To keep the English from pushing into the Ohio Valley, Antoine Cadillac established the city of Detroit.  Robert de La Salle blocked the Spanish push from the Gulf of Mexico by travelling down the Mississippi and declaring the land around him as ‘Louisiana’- after King Louis XIV.  In 1718, the city of New Orleans was established at the mouth of the Mississippi River, blocking the Spanish from accessing a pivotal trade port.

Stopping the Neighbors  However, conflict between the European countries was unavoidable.  Queen Anne’s War pitted British colonists against the coureurs de bois.  The colonists utilized primitive guerilla warfare techniques against the French fur traders.  When peace terms were signed, Britain was the winner, gaining trade rights in Spanish America, and seizing portions of French Louisiana.  Continued skirmishes between Britain and its Europeans in America continually required the colonists to defend their home, while Britain continued its policy of salutary neglect.

Fighting the French  Clashes over territory in the Ohio Valley between France and Britain.  Virginian farmers had claimed land in western Pennsylvania, but the French were in the process of establishing forts in that areas.  Young George Washington was sent to lay claim to the land.  At Fort Duquesne, Washington and his troops won against a small group of French.  However, the French soon returned with reinforcements and attacked Washington and his men at nearby Fort Necessity. Though defeated, Washington was allowed to march his men home with honor.

French and Indian War- the before  Also known as the Seven Years’ War, this war acted as the first world war, including North America, Europe, the West Indies, Africa and on the seas.  After Washington’s defeat at Fort Necessity, the British government summoned the colonies to the Albany Congress.  The immediate purpose was to keep the nearby Iroquois tribes on the side of the British, but it failed.  The longer range purpose was to increase colonial unity in a defense against France.  Benjamin Franklin published his famous ‘Join or Die’ cartoon in the Pennsylvania Gazette.

French and Indian War- the start  General Braddock was sent to capture Fort Duquesne, but they were ill- equipped and ill-disciplined.  The British launched an invasion of Canada in 1756, signaling an official start to the war.  Had the British been able to capture Quebec and Montreal, the war would have ended as soon as it began.  These colonies were taken in 1759 and 1760, respectively, ending any chance at French victory.

French and Indian War- the aftermath  Colonists gained a growing sense of independence, no longer fearing the presence of France in North America.  Tensions between haughty British officers and colonists caused ill feelings;  Growing sense of unity within the colonies.  Native Americans could no longer pit the European colonies against one another.  Chief Pontiac wanted to keep the British out of the Ohio Valley, launching an attack that prompted the British to station troops on the western border of the colonies.  Colonists wanted to push west- but could not because of the Proclamation Line of 1763, which barred settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Treaty of Paris (1763)  The peace treaty ending the war was signed in France Spain (France’s ally) Britain -Lost Canadian holdings -Lost claims to land east of the Mississippi River -Lost empire in India -Acquired French lands west of the Mississippi River and New Orleans -Lost Florida to Britain -Acquired all French lands in Canada -Were given exclusive rights to the Caribbean slave trade -Emerged as a major commercial power in India

Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies. Confine your response to the period from 1754 to 1776.