1. The French and Indian War
“The War for North America”

2. North America – 1750

3. French vs. English French English Canada, Mississippi River Valley
Here for: Fur Trade
Overall good relationship with Indians
Essential for fur trade
Population of New France in 1750: 55,009
Trading posts
Few cities
Capital city, Quebec, had 8,000 people
English
Atlantic Coast
Here for: Land, Colonization
Overall shaky relationship with Natives
Not necessary for obtaining land
Population of English Colonies in 1750: 1.5 million
3 cities over 10,000
Philadelphia
Boston
New York

4. Bad Blood
The French and English rivalry for North America had lasted over 80 years
King Williams War ( )
Queen Anne’s War ( )
King George’s War ( )
Both saw North America as essential to their empire

5. French and Indian War Colonial part of the “Seven Years War”
Would become Global conflict
Fighting lasted from
Bloodiest American war in the 1700’s
It took more lives than the Revolutionary War
Its affects would lead to the American Revolution

6. Causes of Conflict
Both the English and French wanted control of the Ohio River Valley, and both felt that it was rightfully theirs
British wanted more land to expand their colonies westward
Believed their land claims stretched from sea to sea
French wanted control of Ohio River for transportation, trade & to prevent British encroachment
French had claimed the Mississippi River Valley, including Ohio River

7. The Forks of the Ohio
In 1752, some Virginians make a treaty with the Mingo chief “Half-King” for the rights to build a fort at the forks of the Ohio
Present-day Pittsburg
Began building one year later
The following year the French push the British off that land
The Half King saw this as an insult
The French build Fort Duquesne at the Forks in 1754

8. Meanwhile in Albany…
England knew that a war might be inevitable and suggested the colonies form an alliance with the Iroquois and unite for their own protection
In June 1754 delegates from most of the northern colonies and representatives from the Six Iroquois Nations met in Albany, New York
Pennsylvania delegate Benjamin Franklin drafted the Albany Plan of Union
Attempt to Unite Colonies and ally with Iroquois
Modeled after the Iroquois League
Under this plan each colonial legislature would elect delegates to an American continental assembly presided over by a royal governor
Franklin anticipated many of the problems that would beset the government created after independence, such as finance, dealing with the Indian tribes, control of trade, and defense.

9. Albany Plan of Union The plan failed to achieve either of its goals
An alliance was rejected by the Iroquois
The plan of Union was rejected by England, Colonies
British officials realized that, if adopted, the plan could create a very powerful government that His Majesty's Government might not be able to control
The plan was rejected by the Crown and by the legislatures in several of the colonies

10. Washington in his Virginia Militia uniform
George Washington
In 1754, George Washington, 22, was sent to the Ohio Country to take Fort Duquesne and drive out the French
hoped to convince native people that England was the stronger force, so that they would ally with the British
He joined forces with the Half King and his warriors
Stumbled upon a small encampment of French soldiers
Washington attacked
After forcing surrender, the Half King tomahawked the French Commander
This breach of military conduct would enrage the French
Washington quickly built Fort Necessity nearby
Washington in his Virginia Militia uniform

11. Battle of Great Meadows (Fort Necessity)
July 3, 1754
A combined force of 600 French soldiers and 100 native allies overwhelmed Fort Necessity, marking the start of the French and Indian War
French had allied with the Algonquin and Huron tribes
Fort Necessity was built hastily and poorly planned
In a valley
Too near the surrounding forest
After a full day of battle in the rain, and 100 casualties, Washington agreed to the French terms of surrender
permitted Washington and his men to return to Virginia safely
they would not build another fort west of the Appalachian Mts. for at least a year
Placed blame on Washington for the tomahawking of the French commander
This was the first and only surrender of George Washington’s military career

12. Battle of the Monongahela
In July 1755 British general Edward Braddock (aided by Washington) and other colonial militia again tried to take Fort Duquesne
Marched 1500 soldiers, cannon, etc. 110 miles from Maryland through Pennsylvania
British were ambushed by 900 French and Indian warriors a few miles south of the fort
Utilized Indian tactics, where as the British fought in the European style
Huge defeat for the British (over 800 killed compared to 30 French/Indian)
Braddock killed
George Washington would prove heroic
he had two horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat—yet, he sustained no injuries and showed coolness under fire.
After news of debacle reached London, Britain would formally declare war on France in 1756

13. Battle of the Monongahela
by Edwin Deming
The Shooting of General Braddock at Fort Duquesne
by Edwin Deming

14. The Ragin’ Cajuns
The lone British Victory was at the Battle of Fort Beauséjour in June 1755 where British troops took control of Nova Scotia
Mostly New England militia
Fearing that the French residents would overpower them, the British forced them from their homes
First modern deportation of an entire people
Made their way to Louisiana, becoming known as Cajuns
The word Cajun come from “Acadian”

15. French Dominance
For the first three years of the war, the outnumbered French dominated the battlefield defeating the British at
Fort Oswego
Fort William Henry
Fort Ticonderoga.

16. French Dominance Battle of Fort William Henry
Perhaps the most notorious battle of the war was the French victory at Fort William Henry in 1757 (New York)
French laid siege to the Fort
Siege – the surrounding of a location, not letting anyone in or out
British general Daniel Webb surrendered under the terms that the 3,000 soldiers and civilians be allowed to leave the fort peacefully
After the British withdrawal, French-aligned Native Americans attacked and killed 300+ British men, women, children
The events of the battle were depicted in the 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore Cooper

17. In Carolina…
Col. James Innes commanded the Cape Fear militia when war with France broke out.
The Carolinas were generally far removed from the main battlefields of the war, but when Virginia was threatened, North Carolina’s governor authorized men and money to help defend their neighbor to the north.
Virginia governor
Robert Dinwiddie

18. Carolinians on the March…
Col. Innes was appointed to lead 750 NC troops to Virginia.
This was the first time troops from one colony were sent to another for the purposes of mutual defense.
Among the men Innes eventually commanded was a young
George Washington
Innes had served with George’s older brother Lawrence in the Vernon expedition against Cartagena in the War of Jenkins’ Ear.
Young George Washington, made from forsensic reconstruction of Washington’s death mask.

19. Meanwhile back at home…
NC governor Arthur Dobbs knew the colony was woefully unprepared for war.
• He persuaded the Assembly to authorize money to support the main British war effort, and authorized the construction of defensive installations at the Outer Banks, at Ft. Johnston on the Cape Fear, and a new fort on the frontier to be commanded by Hugh Waddell of Wilmington.
NC Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs
Col. Hugh Waddell of Wilmington

20. Fort Dobbs
Located near modern Statesville, NC, Fort Dobbs was the colony’s only French & Indian War frontier outpost.

21. Fort Dobbs was a wooden fort of two stories manned by colonial militia.
On February 27, 1760, Hugh Waddell led a work party to gather firewood from a thicket of trees 300 yards from the fort.

22. Suddenly 70 Cherokee warriors rose from the brush and let loose a war cry.
Waddell and his eight men stood their ground, waiting for the enemy warriors to get close enough to engage.

23. At twelve paces, the militia opened fire…
The Cherokee charge was broken, and Waddell and his men were able to withdraw back to the safety of the fort. The fighting in North Carolina lasted for another year, until ending in 1761 with the dispatch of British regulars to the Carolina backcountry.

24. The tide turns…
The tide turned for the British in 1758, as they began to make peace with important Indian allies like the Iroquois
Under the new direction of Prime Minister Lord William Pitt, Britain began working more closely with colonial forces and adapting their war strategies to fit the territory and landscape of the American frontier.
Promised that Britain would reimburse colonial expenses
The French were also slowly abandoned by many of their Indian allies
War aims begin to change
More of a battle for North America than simply the Ohio Country

25. Britain takes control of the St. Lawrence River
July 1758, 14,000 British forces surrounded and captured the French fort in Louisbourg
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the mouth of the French supply line
The British, under general Wolfe, moved up the St. Lawrence to Quebec
September 1759, A British scout discovered a hidden path that led up the cliffs to a lightly defended part of the French Capital City
During the night, thousands of troops slipped up the path and past the French guards to the Plains of Abraham, a wide open space outside the city of Quebec. French troops under general Montcalm awakened the next morning to find line after line of British troops waiting for them.
The battle raged for less than an hour and finally ended with the French surrender. Both Wolfe and Montcalm died soon after from injuries sustained in the battle.
French General Montcalm enters Quebec mortally-wounded

26. Montreal
One year later, on September 6, 1760 Britain would descend on Montreal
After only a 3 day siege, the 2,000+ French soldiers would surrender the city to the British (17,000 British and 700 Iroquois)
Exhausted by years of battle, outnumbered and outgunned by the British, the French collapsed, climaxing with the defeats of Quebec and Montreal.
By September 1760, the British controlled all major French cities in North America; the war between the two countries was effectively over.

27. Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the French and Indian War.
The British gained control over the area west of the 13 British Colonies all the way to the Mississippi River
The French agreed to give up any colonies in North America, including all of Canada.
Since Spain had helped the French (1762), the Spanish were also forced to give up Florida
the Spanish still held their territory west of the Mississippi River and in Central and South America.

28. North America 1763:

29. Lasting effects
The results of the war effectively ended French influence in North America.
England gained massive amounts of land and vastly strengthened its hold on the continent.
It hurt relationships between the English and Native Americans
The effects of the War played a major role in the worsening relationship between England and its colonies that eventually led into the Revolutionary War
The costs of the war would lead to Britain's taxation of the colonies
Some colonial soldiers would harbor bitterness towards the British army
Mockery
Discipline

30. The Aftermath…
After the treaty of Paris, Britain replaced France as the major European power in the Ohio country
Unlike the French, the British wanted to build settlements on the land, bringing many new colonists to the region
This caused new problems with the Native Americans in the area

31. Pontiac’s Rebellion
Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe united the Huron, Miami, Delaware, and Shawnee tribes against the expanding British
In May 1763 Pontiac and his forces began the attack on Fort Detroit
Pontiac’s allies destroyed or captured 9 forts in the Great Lakes area in one month’s time

32. The End of Pontiac’s Rebellion
Fort Detroit, mid 1700’s
Chief Pontiac
After attacking Fort Detroit for nearly 6 months and without much success, Pontiac’s forces grew tired and returned to their villages
More native warriors began leaving Pontiac as the British were more and more successful at resisting attacks. (i.e. Fort Pitt)
Pontiac finally surrendered and made peace with the English in 1766

33. Proclamation of 1763
With battles erupting in the Ohio Country between British and Pontiac’s natives, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763
This banned colonists from settling west of the Appalachians
Ordered colonists to remove themselves from existing western settlements

34. Proclamation of 1763 Upset colonists
Felt that they had just fought a war for this land, and they should be able to settle it
Felt that King George had no business meddling in Colonial Affairs
Settlers continued to move west, angering native groups
This proclamation
proved difficult to enforce
The colonists’ disregard
for the proclamation
displayed their continued
dissatisfaction with British
control.

35. Moving West Daniel Boone discovered the Cumberland Gap in 1769
A path through the Appalachians
Just north of the junction of the present day states of KY, TN, and VA
Boone and others would continue to move west and lead other settlers into the Ohio Country
Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap (George Caleb Bingham, 1852)