French and Indian War

French and English Collide �in North America

North America in 1750

Background

• European countries were constantly fighting
• European countries tried to control as much land and as much trade as possible

18^th Century Success Secret

more land

+ more trade

+ more gold

= more wealth

& more power

Mercantilism

Colonial Land Grab

• Colonists “bumped” into each other.
• Colonists explored each others’ land.
• Colonists claimed each others’ land.

Native Americans were always caught in the middle.

New France

• In the early 1600’s, France claimed land in present day Canada.
• This land was called ‘New France’..
• Most of the settlers who lived there were fur traders and they lived near the fur trading post of Quebec.

The English Colonies

• The English founded 13 colonies
• New England Colonies
• Middle Colonies
• Southern Colonies
• The English Colonies had many exports and made many people wealthy
• Major Exports:
• Tobacco
• Corn
• Cotton
• Ships

Native American Relations

• English wanted to take land away from Native Americans and use it for farming.
• French had better trading relations with the Indians than the English did, especially the fur trade.
• French only wanted the fur. They didn’t want to stay on the land
• They lived among the Indians and adopted their ways.
• They learned to make canoes, trap animals, make snowshoes, and etc..
• They learned Native American languages

French Possessions In North America

English Possessions In North America

Conflict over Territory

• Fur Trade was most important industry for French (business) in North America
• 1500s-1800s Beaver fur was used to make hats, they were the fashion in Europe
• English colonists bought 500,000 acres of land in the Ohio Valley to farm.
• This would hurt the French colonial fur trade.

Ohio Territory

• Ohio territory was neutral land between the French and English
• Home to native Americans
• Each side tried to keep the other out of the Ohio Country.
• French had better trading relations with the Indians than the English did... especially the fur trade.

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The French Irritation

• In the 1750s, France started building forts around the Great Lakes and into the Ohio River valley.
• French soldiers captured several English trading posts and built a fort to defend their territory from English

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Colonists' vs French

• In1753 a young Virginian, Major George Washington, and a number of men headed out into the Ohio region to deliver a message to a French Captain
• Washington demanded that French troops leave the territory.
• The demand was rejected by the French.
• Washington's army was outnumbered, and his forces were forced to leave

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Not without a Fight

• Washington and his army bult a nearby fort called “Fort Necessity” and hoped to convince native people to fight against the French
• Native Americans saw no benefit in partnering with Washington
• A combined force of French soldiers and their native allies attacked Fort Necessity
• French forces captured Washington and sent him home embarrassed.

Join or Die

Ben Franklin published this cartoon in 1754 urging colonies �to unite for defense

Albany Congress

• English colonies operated independent of each other
• Ben Franklin, a Pennsylvania delegate, offered a plan for permanent union of the colonies
• June, 1754, delegates from several English colonies met in Albany, N.Y.
• A promise from the colonies to work together
• Rejected by the Colonies – England gets involved

England Gets Involved

• The English leaders sent General Braddock, one of their best generals to America
• Both Britain and France tried to secure the help of Native Americans.
• In June 1755, Braddock led nearly 2000 British soldiers and some colonial militia to the French
• General Braddock does not understand the Indians way of fighting and is killed in a sneak attack

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Britain Declares War

• News of Braddock’s defeat reached London and Britain declared war on France
• The French and Indian War Begins
• Early years of the war were disastrous for the British and the British colonies.

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War is expensive

French and Indian War

• French and Indian forces fought against British and colonial soldiers
• For the first three years of the war, the outnumbered French dominated the battlefield, soundly defeating the English in battles

Pitt Takes Charge

• British performance improved after William Pitt became Secretary of State and then Prime Minister.
• Pitt wanted Britain to win the war no matter the cost; Britain went deep into debt.
• Pitt sent some of Britain’s best generals, troops, and naval squadrons to the Colonies.

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The War Ends

• The British sent more soldiers every year and outnumbered the French
• As the war went on, Indian alias abandoned the French
• Exhausted by years of battle, outnumbered and outgunned by the British, the French collapsed during the years 1758-59.
• In 1759 the French were defeat at Quebec, the capital of New France.

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Treaty of Paris

• Treaty of Paris is signed on February 10, 1763 - this ends the war.
• France --> lost her Canadian possessions and claims �to lands east of the Mississippi River.
• France surrenders all land in North America to Britain
• Britain acquired more land in North America and controlled the majority of the land

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North America in 1750

North America in 1763

Critical Thinking:�Cause and Effect

Back to�Transparencies

Critical Thinking:�Cause and Effect

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French and Indian War:

Cause and Effect Flow Chart

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Who should pay for the war?

Britain and the Colonies

• Britain resented the colonies – why couldn’t the colonies fight on their own?
• The war was expensive, and England was now in debt
• British decide to reevaluate their relationship with the colonies.
• Britain Want to re-establish control of the colonies

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Pontiac's Rebellion

• After the French and Indian War, interest increased in the Great Lakes region and Ohio River valley
• Native Americans were unhappy with British Rule
• 1764 - Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa led a rebellion against the British in the Ohio River Valley.
• Native Americans attacked several British forts

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Pontiac's Rebellion

• British officers at Fort Pitt attempted to infect the attacking Indians with blankets that had been exposed to smallpox

The Proclamation of 1763

• To help restore peace, George III issued Proclamation of 1763
• King George III declared that Appalachian Mountains were the western boundary for all colonies
• To separate the colonists from the Indians
• To prevent future wars and expense
• The proclamation acknowledged that Native Americans owned the lands

American colonists forbidden to cross Appalachian Mountains.

The Proclamation of 1763

• Proclamation of 1763 created tension between Britain and the colonies.
• If you were a colonist living in the area, then you would be removed
• Proclamation angered many colonists, especially those who owned shares in land companies
• Many colonists completely disregarded this legislation and continued to encroach on Indian lands

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The Proclamation of 1763

• Britain placed additional taxes on the colonists to pay for defending the 13 colonies…this created more tension.

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