The French And Indian War: The War That Made America
The French and Indian war also known as the Seven Years War or The War That Made America, was a battle for colonial domination. The battles between the two colonies began when the Royal Charters had encouraged the British to expand their territory westward, but the colonists faced two opponents in their drive the French and Indians. The French did not want the English intruding on their monopoly, so the battle for land began.
The first battle between the French and British was the Ohio River Valley. This started when the French had staked claim to the same land that was granted to the English from King GeorgeII. The French built Fort Duquesne at the interval of Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Appointed to lead young George Washington took troops to Duquesne, to warn the French to leave the territory they had claimed for it was not theirs.(Muntone1) After laughing off the warning and taking over the fort that was built by the British, the French had ensued the fighting. Although …show more content…
Washington was made Lieutenant Colonel and authorized to use force the British side was defeated. Losing the battle of Fort Duquesne was not good for the British as the French began to plot, with the Indians as allies they were ready for war.
The French had gained the Indians as allies because of the trusting relationship they had previously established. The Fur-Trade which was the backbone to the two colonies relationship brought tribes financial profits and means of acquiring weapons and tools.(Muntone3) The French had not tried to seize Indian lands or build permanent towns/cities, and lastly many French had followed Samuel de Champlain’s example of learning Indian culture.(Muntone3) The British did have a nice communication with Indians until the colonial population grew and the colonists needed more land. The land they proceeded to take were tribal land, and the Indians retaliated by fighting (ambushing) and kidnapping settlers. Fighting the Indians however was easy for the British. The colonists had more guns and were more ready to use them. The two cultures didn’t share the same assumptions about the possession of land as a private property. The Indians did not find any affective way to counter the argument because they did not understand. Even though they were highly skilled fighters and remained a constant threat, their lack of organization brought their downfall to the British in battle.
British Generals Edward Braddock and William Johnson devised an attack on the French that they thought was unbeatable. They decided to attack the French in three different places Ft. Duquesne, Ft. Niagra and on the Atlantic coast Nova Scotia. (Braddock was killed in the charge against Duquesne.)(Muntone1) The British had succeeded and expelled the French from Nova Scotia and claimed it for England. In 1755 the British won a great victory at Ft. Niagra under General Johnson. Though the British victory was short lived, in May 1756 Marquis de Montcalm led the French troops against the British at Oswego on the Great Lakes.(Muntone2) Canadians and Indians both attacked the small British frontier towns and settlements in New York and Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the British and colonial forces blocked the mouth of the St. Lawrence river.
France had gained the advantage once successfully taking over Ft. William Henry on the shores of the Lake George. In August of 1757, Montcalm and his troops along with their Indian allies destroyed the fort and killed the remaining British troops.(Muntone2) The British had lost control of St. Lawrence when a storm had unexpectedly destroyed many of their ships. With the arrival of reinforcements, British troops took back St. Lawrence, captured Ft. Frontenae in Quebec and then went forth with an assault on Ft. Duquesne. This was when the British finally had won thanks to James Wolfe in the capturing of Quebec and the battle between the two colonies was at an end. The French’s reply to being overthrown was burning the fort instead of ceding it to the enemy. The English had built a new fort near the location and named in Fort Pitt. (in Honor of British Prime minister William Pitt)(Muntone2)
The fighting in North America ended in 1761. In 1763 The Treaty of Paris granted England all of Canada and all French holding east of the Mississippi river, except New Orleans. To prevent England from gaining complete control over the North continent, France had ceded Louisiana territory to Spain in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Citations- Kindig, Thomas. "The French & Indian War." The French & Indian War. Independence Hall Association, 04 July 1995. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. .
- KP. "French & Indian War (1754-1763)." The French and Indian War (1754-1763). Kidport Reference Library, 1998. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
- 1 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. .
- 2 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War Timeline." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
- 3 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War Conflict / Alliance." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
- NARA. "French and Indian War/Seven Years ' War, 1754-63." The Department Of State Office Of The Historian. Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State, 2002. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
- WQED. "The War That Made America." PBS. PBS, July 2005. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. http://www.pbs.org/thewarthatmadeamerica/timeline.html
The most important of the wars during this period was the Seven Years War, or the French and Indian War.
This war, between Britain and France, lasted from 1754-1763. The French had established a profitable fur trade with the Indians, and they did not want the English encroaching on their monopoly in this trade. The English wanted to expand westward, but the French were blocking their efforts. This was a critical factor for the fighting of this war. The Native Americans played a critical role in the outcome of the war as well. The Indians were convinced to side primarily with the French because the French wanted a trade relationship with the Indians; the English only wanted the Indian 's land. Because of the untraditional warfare of the Native Americans, the English were forced to send many British Regulars to North America to fight the war. As a result, the war was a costly one - adding to the economic misery of Great Britain because of the already accumulated debt from previous
wars.
[The English finally won in 1763. The treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 in Paris, France. The treaty gave all the rights of French land to the English.]
British generals Edward Braddock and William Johnson decided to attack the French in three places: at Fort Duquesne, at Fort Niagara, and on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Braddock was killed in the charge against Fort Duquesne; George Washington took over and led the retreat to safety. The British expelled the French from Nova Scotia and claimed it for England. At Fort Niagara, the British won a great victory in September 1755 under General Johnson.
On May 8, 1756, the Marquis de Montcalm led the French troops against the British garrison at Oswego on the Great Lakes. Canadians and Indians attacked the small British frontier towns and settlements in western New York and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the British and Colonial forces blocked the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, which was a lifeline for the cities of Quebec and Montreal, and attacked tribal villages in the Ohio River Valley.
France gained the advantage with a successful siege of Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George. In August of 1757, Montcalm and his troops, with their Indian allies, destroyed the fort and killed the remaining British troops. The British lost control of the St. Lawrence River when a storm destroyed many of their ships.
Because they had received better treatment from the French, the Indians allied with them through most of the war. However, experience had made them mistrustful of both sides, and they were determined to act only in their own best interests. When the tide of war turned in favor of the British in the summer of 1758, the Iroquois went over to the British side.
When reinforcements arrived, the British took back the St. Lawrence, captured Fort Frontenac in Quebec, then mounted a determined assault on Fort Duquesne. The French eventually burned the fort rather than cede it to the enemy. The English built a new fort nearby, which they named Fort Pitt in honor of British Prime Minister William Pitt. Pitt was something of a hero to the colonists, for as soon as he became prime minister, he concentrated his efforts—and the British treasury—on winning the war in the colonies.
Under the command of General James Wolfe, the British laid siege to Quebec in 1759. After a battle on the Plains of Abraham outside the city, in which both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed, the English emerged victorious. The victory was largely due to the fact that the British army had cannon and the French army had none. The French surrendered formally on September 18, 1759.
The fighting in North America ended in 1761. The 1763 Treaty of Paris granted England all of Canada and all French holdings east of the Mississippi River except New Orleans. To prevent England from gaining total control over the North American continent, France had ceded the vast Louisiana territory to Spain in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau.
The first battle between the French and British was the Ohio River Valley. This started when the French had staked claim to the same land that was granted to the English from King GeorgeII. The French built Fort Duquesne at the interval of Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. Appointed to lead young George Washington took troops to Duquesne, to warn the French to leave the territory they had claimed for it was not theirs.(Muntone1) After laughing off the warning and taking over the fort that was built by the British, the French had ensued the fighting. Although …show more content…
Washington was made Lieutenant Colonel and authorized to use force the British side was defeated. Losing the battle of Fort Duquesne was not good for the British as the French began to plot, with the Indians as allies they were ready for war.
The French had gained the Indians as allies because of the trusting relationship they had previously established. The Fur-Trade which was the backbone to the two colonies relationship brought tribes financial profits and means of acquiring weapons and tools.(Muntone3) The French had not tried to seize Indian lands or build permanent towns/cities, and lastly many French had followed Samuel de Champlain’s example of learning Indian culture.(Muntone3) The British did have a nice communication with Indians until the colonial population grew and the colonists needed more land. The land they proceeded to take were tribal land, and the Indians retaliated by fighting (ambushing) and kidnapping settlers. Fighting the Indians however was easy for the British. The colonists had more guns and were more ready to use them. The two cultures didn’t share the same assumptions about the possession of land as a private property. The Indians did not find any affective way to counter the argument because they did not understand. Even though they were highly skilled fighters and remained a constant threat, their lack of organization brought their downfall to the British in battle.
British Generals Edward Braddock and William Johnson devised an attack on the French that they thought was unbeatable. They decided to attack the French in three different places Ft. Duquesne, Ft. Niagra and on the Atlantic coast Nova Scotia. (Braddock was killed in the charge against Duquesne.)(Muntone1) The British had succeeded and expelled the French from Nova Scotia and claimed it for England. In 1755 the British won a great victory at Ft. Niagra under General Johnson. Though the British victory was short lived, in May 1756 Marquis de Montcalm led the French troops against the British at Oswego on the Great Lakes.(Muntone2) Canadians and Indians both attacked the small British frontier towns and settlements in New York and Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the British and colonial forces blocked the mouth of the St. Lawrence river.
France had gained the advantage once successfully taking over Ft. William Henry on the shores of the Lake George. In August of 1757, Montcalm and his troops along with their Indian allies destroyed the fort and killed the remaining British troops.(Muntone2) The British had lost control of St. Lawrence when a storm had unexpectedly destroyed many of their ships. With the arrival of reinforcements, British troops took back St. Lawrence, captured Ft. Frontenae in Quebec and then went forth with an assault on Ft. Duquesne. This was when the British finally had won thanks to James Wolfe in the capturing of Quebec and the battle between the two colonies was at an end. The French’s reply to being overthrown was burning the fort instead of ceding it to the enemy. The English had built a new fort near the location and named in Fort Pitt. (in Honor of British Prime minister William Pitt)(Muntone2)
The fighting in North America ended in 1761. In 1763 The Treaty of Paris granted England all of Canada and all French holding east of the Mississippi river, except New Orleans. To prevent England from gaining complete control over the North continent, France had ceded Louisiana territory to Spain in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Citations- Kindig, Thomas. "The French & Indian War." The French & Indian War. Independence Hall Association, 04 July 1995. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. .
- KP. "French & Indian War (1754-1763)." The French and Indian War (1754-1763). Kidport Reference Library, 1998. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
- 1 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. .
- 2 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War Timeline." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
- 3 Muntone, Stephanie. "The French and Indian War Conflict / Alliance." Education.com. McGraw-Hill Professional, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
- NARA. "French and Indian War/Seven Years ' War, 1754-63." The Department Of State Office Of The Historian. Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State, 2002. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.
- WQED. "The War That Made America." PBS. PBS, July 2005. Web. 12 Sept. 2013. http://www.pbs.org/thewarthatmadeamerica/timeline.html
The most important of the wars during this period was the Seven Years War, or the French and Indian War.
This war, between Britain and France, lasted from 1754-1763. The French had established a profitable fur trade with the Indians, and they did not want the English encroaching on their monopoly in this trade. The English wanted to expand westward, but the French were blocking their efforts. This was a critical factor for the fighting of this war. The Native Americans played a critical role in the outcome of the war as well. The Indians were convinced to side primarily with the French because the French wanted a trade relationship with the Indians; the English only wanted the Indian 's land. Because of the untraditional warfare of the Native Americans, the English were forced to send many British Regulars to North America to fight the war. As a result, the war was a costly one - adding to the economic misery of Great Britain because of the already accumulated debt from previous
wars.
[The English finally won in 1763. The treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 in Paris, France. The treaty gave all the rights of French land to the English.]
British generals Edward Braddock and William Johnson decided to attack the French in three places: at Fort Duquesne, at Fort Niagara, and on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Braddock was killed in the charge against Fort Duquesne; George Washington took over and led the retreat to safety. The British expelled the French from Nova Scotia and claimed it for England. At Fort Niagara, the British won a great victory in September 1755 under General Johnson.
On May 8, 1756, the Marquis de Montcalm led the French troops against the British garrison at Oswego on the Great Lakes. Canadians and Indians attacked the small British frontier towns and settlements in western New York and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the British and Colonial forces blocked the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, which was a lifeline for the cities of Quebec and Montreal, and attacked tribal villages in the Ohio River Valley.
France gained the advantage with a successful siege of Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George. In August of 1757, Montcalm and his troops, with their Indian allies, destroyed the fort and killed the remaining British troops. The British lost control of the St. Lawrence River when a storm destroyed many of their ships.
Because they had received better treatment from the French, the Indians allied with them through most of the war. However, experience had made them mistrustful of both sides, and they were determined to act only in their own best interests. When the tide of war turned in favor of the British in the summer of 1758, the Iroquois went over to the British side.
When reinforcements arrived, the British took back the St. Lawrence, captured Fort Frontenac in Quebec, then mounted a determined assault on Fort Duquesne. The French eventually burned the fort rather than cede it to the enemy. The English built a new fort nearby, which they named Fort Pitt in honor of British Prime Minister William Pitt. Pitt was something of a hero to the colonists, for as soon as he became prime minister, he concentrated his efforts—and the British treasury—on winning the war in the colonies.
Under the command of General James Wolfe, the British laid siege to Quebec in 1759. After a battle on the Plains of Abraham outside the city, in which both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed, the English emerged victorious. The victory was largely due to the fact that the British army had cannon and the French army had none. The French surrendered formally on September 18, 1759.
The fighting in North America ended in 1761. The 1763 Treaty of Paris granted England all of Canada and all French holdings east of the Mississippi River except New Orleans. To prevent England from gaining total control over the North American continent, France had ceded the vast Louisiana territory to Spain in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau.