French and Indian War Free Essays

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. We will write a custom essay sample on French and Indian War or any similar topic only for you Order Now 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 tribes lay within its grasp. Colonists were forced to trade raw materials for goods. Ideological Relations Before the French and Indian War broke out, the main issue facing the two colonial powers was separation of the continent. The English were settled along the eastern seaboard, in Georgia, the Carolinas, and what the Northeastern United States is now. The French controlled Louisiana in the South and the far North, and Northeast Canada. The Cherokee and Choctaws inhabited the mountainous region in between the two powers and attempted to maintain their independence by trading with both nations. France regarded itself as possessor of all disputed lands in the west, including the Ohio Valley. The English needless to say, disputed the French claim. Although the French lay claim to far more territory than the English did, the French territory was lightly populated. Often French territory was not marked by the existence of outposts or towns but simple forts manned by only a few men. English territory, by contrast, was rapidly being populated. The pressures of a growing population, the desire for expansion, and impatience to gain access to the profitable fur trade of the Great Lakes region impelled an intense English desire to extend westward during the 18th century. Political During the late 1740’s, the British slowly moved to expand their land. In the 1740’s, they constructed a trading fort, Oswego, on the banks of Lake Ontario. In 1749, the Ohio Company, a group of Virginian investors, successfully petitioned the English crown for lands in the Ohio area with the purpose of building a settlement. The next year a conference was held in Paris in an attempt to sort out some of the conflicting claims. There was little progress was made. In 1752, the Marquis Duquesne assumed the office of governor of New France, with specific instructions to secure possession of the Ohio Valley. All of these small tensions set the stage for the French and Indian War to explode. Colonists now had to obey British laws that were enforced by these governors. These governors were appointed by the king or the proprietor. Colonial legislatures made laws for each colony and were monitored by the colonial governors. While the War has often been portrayed as merely a fight between England and France, the many Indian nations that lived in these regions played a pivotal role in both the instigation and the outcome of the conflict. The fight for control of the continent was a fight between three nations, and until the late 18th century it was not at all certain which one would win. The Indians, especially the five nations of the Iroquois, were exceptionally good at playing the French and the English against each other in order to maximize their own benefits. The French and Indian War was a guerrilla war of small skirmishes and surprise attacks. The land was unfamiliar to both the French and the English; the involvement of the Indian nations as allies in battle made an enormous difference. Faced with the greater resources of the British and lacking the advantage of their Indian allies, the French were left with little hope, and soon lost the continent. 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. How to cite French and Indian War, Papers French and Indian War Free Essays The French and Indian war happened because of the hatred between the French and English and because of the competition for land. Most of the war occurred in America and troubled the colonists greatly. They didn’t like having the British soldiers all over their country and having to deal with them everywhere. We will write a custom essay sample on French and Indian War or any similar topic only for you Order Now The relationship between Britain and its American colonies was dramatically altered after the French and Indian war because of the conclusion of the British salutary neglect and the new acts and policies England enforced on them. The American colonies began changing their opinions of the British after the French and Indian war when parliament took control. Parliament passed several laws and enforced numerous taxes, such as the Sugar act, which put a tax on sugar, wine and other goods, the Quartering act, which let British soldiers stay in the homes of the colonists and they had to feed and pay for them, then there was the Stamp act, which was most important because it effected every single colonist by imposing a tax on almost all printed documents in the colonies. This was done because of how much debt England was in after the French and Indian war. Colonists were enraged because they were so accustomed to the long period of salutary neglect and felt it unfair that England interfered with their lives in this way. Another factor that caused the British and their American colonies relations to change was their interference with the economics of the colonies. Prime Minister George Grenville reinforced the Navigation acts from the 1660’s, which forced colonists to only trade with England and said that all goods going from Europe to the colonies must pass through England so they can be taxed. The Navigation acts had been around for about a century but they had never been fully implemented until after the French and Indian war. The colonists were completely unaccustomed to being controlled by England so harshly. American colonists were sick of being treated so terribly by the British with all the new taxes and rules they had to follow, they started to have severe animosity towards England. Many colonists would protest, many smuggled goods, and just defied the acts claiming that Britain does not have the power to implement such laws on them. There were also fights that would break out between the British redcoats and the American colonists, the most important one being the Boston Massacre during which five people died because of the aversion between the redcoats and colonists. Eventually all of these intense skirmishes lead to a revolutionary war between America and England. The French and Indian war brought the colonies together as they found a common enemy. It made them realize that England could not rule over them anymore and they could do something about it. The French and Indian war turned people who were once loyal British subjects into anti-British protestors struggling for independence. How to cite French and Indian War, Papers French and Indian War Free Essays The French and Indian War also know as the Seven Years’ War, was the North American conflict that was part of a larger imperial battle between France and Great Britain. It was named by British and American forces fighting against French and Canadian forces associated with the Algonkian nations. It was the fourth of a series of wars. We will write a custom essay sample on French and Indian War or any similar topic only for you Order Now It sometimes was known as the Intercolonial Wars. It lasted from 1754-1763. The French and Indian War was diverse in that it arose in the colonies and spread to Europe when Britain acknowledged war on France in 1756 to begin the Seven Years’ War (â€Å"French and Indian War†). It guaranteed the dominance of English- speaking people over North America and set the stage for the American Revolutionary War, or the American War of Independence (1775-1783). It originated as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, but progressively grew into a world war between Britain on one side and the freshly formed United States. The British and the French had been rebellious for colonial control in the Americas since the late 1600s. Both wanted access to profitable trade opportunities and to land for expanding reimbursement (â€Å"French and Indian War (Overview)†). Most of the French and Indian War was fought in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania over such sites as Fort Duquesne (Fort Pitt), Fort William Henry, and Fort Carillon. It was a particularly new-style American battle in that it contained mostly of guerrilla-type rebellious in the wilderness and alongside colonial borders. The war began in a struggle for control of the immense lands of the trans-Appalachian region, especially the Ohio River Valley. To exclude English settlers from lands they claimed, the French established a series of forts across the area. Both the French and the Indians were fighting for the land because of the resources, such as timber. Most of the Indians sided with the French because the British made a permanent settlement on their land which made the French very angry. Although the war with the French ended in 1763, the British continued to fight with the Indians over the issue of land privileges. â€Å"Pontiac’s War† disappeared shortly after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and many of the battlefields including Detroit, Fort Pitt, and Niagara were the same. The Indians, already drained by many years of war, quickly surrendered under the aggressive British revenge. The issue remained a problem for many years to come (â€Å"French and Indian War†). The results of the war effectively ended French political and cultural impacts in North America. England expanded considerable amounts of land and immensely reinforced its grasp on the continent. The war, however, also had delicate consequences. It desperately worn the relationship between England and Native Americans and though the war seemed to support England’s grip on the colonies, the effects of the French and Indian War played a major role in the fading relationship between England and its colonies that eventually led into the Revolutionary War (â€Å"French and Indian War (Overview)†). As George Washington said in his letter to John Augustine, â€Å"We expect every hour to be attacked by a superior Force, but shall if they stay one day longer be prepared for them† (â€Å"Letter to John Augustine†). As you can see, the French and Indian War, a colonial extension of the Seven Years War that devastated Europe from 1756 to 1763, was the goriest American war in the 18th century. It took more lives than the American Revolution. The war was the product of an imposing struggle, a brawl between the French and English over colonial terrain and prosperity. Within these global forces, the war has also been seen as a product of the restricted conflict between British and French colonists. How to cite French and Indian War, Papers French and Indian War Free Essays The French and Indian war happened because of the hatred between the French and English and because of the competition for land. Most of the war occurred in America and troubled the colonists greatly. They didn’t like having the British soldiers all over their country and having to deal with them everywhere. We will write a custom essay sample on French and Indian War or any similar topic only for you Order Now The relationship between Britain and its American colonies was dramatically altered after the French and Indian war because of the conclusion of the British salutary neglect and the new acts and policies England enforced on them. The American colonies began changing their opinions of the British after the French and Indian war when parliament took control. Parliament passed several laws and enforced numerous taxes, such as the Sugar act, which put a tax on sugar, wine and other goods, the Quartering act, which let British soldiers stay in the homes of the colonists and they had to feed and pay for them, then there was the Stamp act, which was most important because it effected every single colonist by imposing a tax on almost all printed documents in the colonies. This was done because of how much debt England was in after the French and Indian war. Colonists were enraged because they were so accustomed to the long period of salutary neglect and felt it unfair that England interfered with their lives in this way. Another factor that caused the British and their American colonies relations to change was their interference with the economics of the colonies. Prime Minister George Grenville reinforced the Navigation acts from the 1660’s, which forced colonists to only trade with England and said that all goods going from Europe to the colonies must pass through England so they can be taxed. The Navigation acts had been around for about a century but they had never been fully implemented until after the French and Indian war. The colonists were completely unaccustomed to being controlled by England so harshly. American colonists were sick of being treated so terribly by the British with all the new taxes and rules they had to follow, they started to have severe animosity towards England. Many colonists would protest, many smuggled goods, and just defied the acts claiming that Britain does not have the power to implement such laws on them. There were also fights that would break out between the British redcoats and the American colonists, the most important one being the Boston Massacre during which five people died because of the aversion between the redcoats and colonists. Eventually all of these intense skirmishes lead to a revolutionary war between America and England. The French and Indian war brought the colonies together as they found a common enemy. It made them realize that England could not rule over them anymore and they could do something about it. The French and Indian war turned people who were once loyal British subjects into anti-British protestors struggling for independence. How to cite French and Indian War, Papers