1. French and Indian War (The Seven Years War) 1754/56-1763 History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007

2. The name of this war is a bit confusing. British colonists in America had a traditionally named wars after the sitting British monarch. Since there had already been a King George’s War, they decided to name this war after their opponents, the French and Indians. This implies Indians fought only on the side of the French. In fact, many natives fought with the American colonists. Actually, the British, their American colonists, and some American Indian tribes battled the French, their Canadian colonists, and other Native Americans in the French and Indian War. Europeans referred to the conflict as the Seven Years War (the years of the war,1756-1763). History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 The Name?

3. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 The Tactics Because American Indians along with French British colonists who had little military experience were the primary combatants in the war, many of the established rules of war were not followed. American Indians preferred to use guerrilla tactics, “the skulking (sneaking) way of war.” Colonists on both sides of the conflict who allied themselves with Indians learned the best locations to ambush troops and used hit-and-run tactics to frustrate their enemy. American colonists would employ these same tactics against the British during the American Revolution. General Braddock is shot from his horse during the Battle of Monongahela. A young George Washington urged Braddock to allow him to take men into the woods during the battle, but Braddock refused to engage in that type of warfare.

5. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Causes The French and Indian War, as it was known in the colonies, began as a result of French and British colonists competing for their share of the beaver fur trade in the Ohio River Valley. At the time, a person could make a huge sum of money trading beaver furs, which were all the rage back in Europe. While the French had claimed this territory since Robert La Salle claimed it for France, British colonists were determined to claim their share of the fur trade. Beaver fur has multiple layers of different types of hair.

6. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Fort Necessity/Great Meadows In the early 1750s the French captured English forts in the disputed territory to stop British colonists from moving into the Ohio Country. George Washington, a 22-year-old Virginia militia officer, led a small force to drive out the French. He led his men to Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The Virginians retreated when they realized the French greatly outnumbered them. Unable to attack the well-armed fort, Washington constructed Fort Necessity, a small, wooden-fenced camp. After an overwhelming French and Indian assault, Washington was forced to surrender. (top) This is a reconstructed model of the hastily built Fort Necessity. (right) A young George Washington surrenders to the French. July 3, 1754

7. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Did Washington Start the War? Many historians point to Washington’s actions as the beginning of the French and Indian War. Shortly after Washington’s men constructed the camp at Great Meadows they were warned of a French force nearby under the command of Joseph Jumonville. Washington took several men and some Indian allies into battle. When Washington’s forces engaged the small French force, they killed at least ten and took several French soldiers prisoner, including Jumonville. While in captivity, an American Indian, Tanaghrisson, who was allied with Washington, killed Jumonville with a tomahawk while Washington was trying to interrogate him. When a larger French force surrounded and captured Washington at Fort Necessity days later, Washington was forced to sign a letter of surrender written in French. Washington, who did not speak or read French, signed the document taking responsibility for the murder of Jumonville This figure depicts George Washington as he may have appeared at 22.

8. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Monongahela In the summer of 1755, British Major General Edward Braddock led a force of 1,500 British troops and Virginia militia (under George Washington’s command) to push the French out of Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country. Before Braddock’s column could reach the French fort, a force of three hundred Indians and a small number of French militia ambushed them. The Indians and French used guerrilla-style tactics. They lay in wait to ambush Braddock’s troops. Braddock would not allow his men to break ranks and go into the woods to pursue their attackers. Braddock’s force was defeated, and Braddock was mortally wounded in the battle. Washington was forced to lead the weary group back to British-held territory. Before Braddock’s death at Monongahela, he had promised to make George Washington an officer in the British army after they returned from the campaign. To Washington’s surprise, he was blamed for the defeat and denied a commission in the British army. July 9, 1755

9. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Fort William Henry Although it had little strategic significance, the Siege of Fort William Henry is probably the most well-known battle of the French and Indian War. The battle and its aftermath is depicted in James Fenimore Cooper’s classic novel The Last of the Mohicans. A combined French and Indian force besieged the British- held Fort William Henry. After enduring a heavy barrage for days on end, the British surrendered the fort to the French and were allowed to withdraw peaceably. This action enraged France’s Indian allies, and they attacked the retreating British soldiers and civilians, taking several hostages and killing about forty others. Seeing the attack, the French did ride out to end the attack. The action would became known as the “Fort William Henry Massacre” Plans of Fort William Henry (above), James Fenimore Cooper (left) August 1757

10. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Battle of Ticonderoga (Fort Carrillon) July 8, 1758 This battle took place on the southern shore of Lake Champlain near the borders of present-day Vermont and New York. The British had a powerful combined force of 15,000 regulars and militia against the much smaller French force of 3,500 that controlled Fort Carillon (later renamed Ticonderoga, an Iroquois name meaning the junction of two waterways). The British force attacked the fort on July 8, 1758, and were met with stiff French resistance. After losing nearly 2,000 men, the British commander, Abercromby, already timid, panicked and withdrew his forces. The defeat eventually lead to his removal. General Amherst replaced him.

11. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Battle of Louisburg July 27, 1758 At the beginning of their summer offensive in 1758, the British sought to secure the entrance of the St. Lawrence River to cut French aid to their army and colonists in Canada. The French had a garrison of about 6,000 men guarding Louisburg. The British force of more than 11,000 attacked the fortress from multiple sides; and by the night of July 29, the French troops were forced to surrender.

12. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Battle of Quebec To end the French and Indian War, the British had to capture the French stronghold of Quebec, strategically located on a steep cliff above the St. Lawrence River. With their naval artillery unable to traverse (raise) high enough to hit the city, the British were forced to undertake a daring raid in smaller boats, which they used to sail past the city, disembark their troops, and have them scale the less steep southern cliffs.. At the top of the cliff were the Plains of Abraham, which would be the site of the decisive battle between the evenly matched forces. Each army numbered about 5,000. Both the British commander General Wolfe and French General Montcalm were killed in the battle, and the British were victorious. September 13, 1759 British troops scale the cliffs outside Quebec and gather on the Plains of Abraham.

13. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Battle of Thousand Islands This battle took place in the upper St. Lawrence and around a French fort, Fort Levis. The defenders of Fort Levis knew they were the only obstacle between the British and the French city of Montreal to the west. The French held the larger British force at bay for more than a week, sinking several ships. The battle was primarily a series of naval engagements around the many islands in the area. The battle culminated with a British naval bombardment of Fort Levis and the French surrender of the fort on the August 24. August 16 – 24, 1760 This is a view of the Battle of Thousand Islands from the unique perspective of a nearby Indian village.

14. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 Battle of Signal Hill This was the last major battle of the war in North America. The French had assembled many of their remaining forces in Newfoundland to establish new defensive positions at St.John’s. General Amherst led the British forces that landed north of the city and began their march. French commanders positioned troops atop a steep hill that overlooked the entire area in an to stop the British advance. Remarkably, the British surprised the French forces on the hill and defeated them quickly. September 15, 1762 This is the view from atop Signal Hill.

15. History Beyond The Textbook CICERO CICERO © 2007 The Treaty of Paris, 1763 The French defeat at the Battle of Quebec French dominance in North America. Although it took a few more years of fighting, the French were forced to cede their land on the continent in exchange for peace. The Treaty of Paris, or Peace of Paris, was signed on February 10, 1763. The treaty gave the French territory of Canada to the British, and Spain ceded its territory of Florida to the British as well. In exchange, the Spanish took control of New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory (the Louisiana Territory had already been promised to Spain under an earlier treaty). The Ohio Country, which had been the cause of the war in North America, also fell under British control. However, after Indians who had allied with the French learned they were to lose their territory, they began launching attacks against the British and their American colonists. This became known as Pontiac’s Rebellion and would lead the British, who had grown weary of war in the colonies, to announce the Proclamation of 1763, forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. Chief Pontiac, or Obwandiyag was an Ottawa leader famous for his role in the Indian rebellion.