Essay #4
The French and Indian War, a colonial manifestation of the same forces and tensions that erupted in the European Seven Years' War, was, quite simply, a war about expansionism. The French and the English were competing for land and trading privileges in North America; which lead to land dispute, particularly the Ohio Valley. Each nation saw this territory necessary to seize to increase its own power and wealth while limiting the strength of its rival. Although the war itself occurred from a simple being, its consequences were far- reaching. The English had won the war and decided the colonial fate of North America, but yet at the same time showed the beginning of a colonial revolution. After the war, the British ended their reign of salutary neglect, so the colonials would be watched under a closer eye. The British also raised taxes in an effort to pay for the war. Both of these postwar plans resulted in massive colonial displeasure and added to nationalism that eventually exploded in the Revolutionary War. Thesis Statement: Prior to the French and Indian War the colonists enjoyed salutary neglect, but soon after the defeat of France and the acquirement of French land, the almighty British implemented mercantilism, settlement restrictions, and several controversial duties in the colonies.
Economic
The French and Indian war took a large toll on the American Indians lives. The British took revenge against Native American nations that fought on the side of the French by completely off their supplies and forced these native tribes to follow their rules. Native Americans that had fought on the side of the British with the understanding that their cooperation would lead to an end to European invasion on their land were unpleasantly surprised when many new settlers began to move in. Furthermore, with the French presence gone, there was little to distract the British government from focusing its attention on whatever Native American