US History 3.4 The French and Indian War
1754-1763
(that is Not the French VS. the Indians War)
Objectives:
1. Trace the development of the French-British colonial rivalry.
2. Summarize the French and Indian War
3. Explain the war’s effects on the relationship b/w Britain and its colonies.
I. Rivals for an Empire
· Where were the French settlements in North America?
· How did the French and English colonies in North America differ?
· France rivals Britain for great wealth especially in rich Ohio River Valley.
· Colonists, who still considered themselves very much British citizens, wanted to expand westward since it was becoming so crowded on the East coast.
· France’s North American empire
o Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River
o Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec
o New France colony was only about 70,000 people yet the English colonies had about 1 million.
o New France populated by priests and traders no families wanting to build towns
o Different from British colonies because want friendly relations w/ Native Americans (Hurons, Ottawas, etc) in order to trade fur.
o Military alliances developed between French and Indians.
o
1. Where were the French settlements in North America?
2. How did the French and English colonies in North America differ?
II. Britain Defeats an Old Enemy
· What prompted the start of the French and Indian War
· What events led to Britain’s victory?
· What was the Proclamation of 1763?
· French and British not getting along as they come into conflict more and more times.
· 1754 French built Fort Duquesne in Ohio (site of modern Pittsburgh)
·
o This compact Vauban style (the original death star!) fort was built partially of horizontal, squared, oak and chestnut timbers laid in criblocked walls with tamped earth and rock fill on the land side and upright stockade walls on the sides abutting the rivers.
· BUT…
o But the British had granted 200,000 acres of that land to a group of wealthy planters out of Virginia
o Virginia send in a militia (group of average citizens who came together to evict the French from what they saw as their land)
o Militia led by 22 year old officer named George Washington.
o He established a fort close to the French called Fort Necessity.
·
o May of 1754 Washington attacks, French counterattack, finally French force Washington to surrender.
o These were the opening battles of the French Indian War
· Early French Victories
o ONE YEAR LATER…
o Washington goes back into battle under British General Edward Braddock.
o Braddock and British attack Fort Duquesne but ambushed by French soldiers hiding! That wasn’t the proper British way (marching tin soldiers)
o British lost and Washington lost respect for British military leaders
o British keep losing through 1755 and 1756
· Pitt and the Iroquois turn the tide
o King George is angry at British losses so hires a new guy
o William Pitt takes charge and reinvigorates the British army
o British start winning battles so powerful Iroquois begin to support the British
o in case you are wondering… it is now French and Indians against British/colonists and Indians. Confused?
o Big battle in Quebec in Sept 1759
§ British surprise and defeat French at Quebec
· French and Indian War officially ends 1763 with the Treaty of Paris
· Great Britain gets:
o All of North America east of the Mississippi River
o This includes Florida, which Britain had got from Spain, an ally of France
· Spain got:
o French lands west of the Mississippi River including New Orleans
· France got:
o Small islands near Newfoundland and in the West Indies
· Native Americans got;
o Nothing – British were harder to bargain with than the French had been
· See page 87 for map. What do you notice about the British empire in the 1750s? Did the British get all of present day Canada in 1763?
· Problems of Victory
o British are now claiming ownership of Ohio River Valley
o Native Americans feared settlers would drive away all the game they needed to survive
o 1763 Ottawa leader Pontiac saw that the French loss was a huge loss for Native Americans also. See Personal Voice p. 88
· Led by Pontaic, Native Americans captured 8 British forts and laid siege to two others.
o Created the alliance of Great Lake tribes
o Shrewd military tactician
o Brilliantly captured Detroit
· In anger, British practiced bioterrorism: during peace negotiations they gave smallpox infected blankets to 2 chiefs. Virus spread rapidly. Weak the Native Americans signed treaties by 1765
· British declared the Proclamation of 1763 which banned all settlement west of the Appalachians. Colonists could not cross it.
o British couldn’t enforce this any better than they did the Navigation Acts.
o Convinced colonists the British gov’t didn’t care about their needs for land
1. What prompted the start of the French and Indian War
2. What events led to Britain’s victory?
3. What was the Proclamation of 1763?
III. The Colonies and Britain Grow Apart
1. What tensions developed b/w the colonies and Britain after the war?
2. What actions by George Grenville angered the colonists? Why?
· British Policies Anger Colonists
a. Massachusetts is hotbed of anger. British could search anytime, anywhere for smuggled goods w/ writs of assistance (search warrents)
· Problems resulting from the war
a. Lots of British troops around to protect against the French
b. Colonists saw this as a threat
c. Costs the British a lot of money to maintain those troops and the British budget was broke (sort of like the U.S. costs to maintain troops in Iraq)
d. King George appoints money man George Grenville as prime minister
e. Grenville angers colonists.
f. He passed the Sugar Act which was an indirect tax which did 3 things
i. Halved the duty on foreign molasses so it was cheaper and the colonists might not need to smuggle it
ii. Placed duties on other items
iii. Strengthened court so smuggling cases tried not in sympathetic colonial courts but in vice-admiralty courts.
1. What tensions developed b/w the colonies and Britain after the war?
2. What actions by George Grenville angered the colonists? Why?