FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR: 1754 - 1763

French

British

The British vs. The French in America

Catholic Few Permanent

settlements Main Economic

Activity: fur trade Preferred by

Natives – many native Allies

Protestant Many Permanent

settlements & large towns

Main Economic activity: farming

Few native allies

Growing Rich from America

World Empires

Wealthy Enemies

ON THE EVE OF WAR… French:

Afraid of losing Fur Trade region of Ohio Country

Covet the region of the upper Ohio River Valley

Build forts in the Region (Ex. Ft. Le Boeuf near Erie)

British: Colonies are

growing in population and need more land!

Begin pushing westward.

Covet the Ohio country for expansion.

A young man named George Washington is sent from Virginia to scout out region and expel the French…

BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR

Dates: 1754 to 1763 (#1) Location: Quebec,

Northeastern Coast and Great Lakes region (Western Pennsylvania!)

French and Algonquin tribesvs. British, American Colonistsand Iroquois Confederacy

Expanded into Europe as the Seven Years War (#2)(1756–1763)

British Victory:Treaty of Paris-1763

GEORGE WASHINGTON DELIVERS A MESSAGE!DEC. 11, 1753

Washington and Christopher Gist are sent to deliver a message to the French.

They travel from VA to Ft.

Le Boeuf (near Lake Erie).

The message tells the French that the British claim the land known as the “Ohio Country” (west of the Appalachian Mtns.)

The French claim the land is theirs!

WASHINGTON AND GIST NEARLY DROWN!

…While crossing the Allegheny River on a raft.

…Managed to make it to a small island in the river.

By morning, they were able to cross over the frozen river to safety.

G.W.‘s life is spared - #1

….AT FT. LEBEOUF

WASHINGTON STARTS THE F & I WAR! – MAY 28, 1754

G.W. and VA militia (citizen soldiers) are assigned to build a fort at the “forks of the Ohio”

Larger French force overtakes it during construction and names it Ft. Duquesne(#6).

Washington and his men leave to return to VA with the information.

THE SPARK…

Battle of Jumonville Glen (#3) May 28, 1754 Ultimately triggers French & Indian War Lt. George Washington and 40 soldiers

ambush French militia led by Ensign de Jumonville in early AM

Jumonville killed in battle (assassinated by the Indian leader “The Half King”), an act which starts the war

When Washington returns to Western PA to help finish the fort, the British come upon a French camp…

WASHINGTON SURRENDERS AT THE ‘GREAT MEADOWS’ - JULY 3 - 4, 1754

G.W. and his militia hastily built a stockade for protection from the French & Indians –

called (# 4) Ft. Necessity.

A strong storm wet their powder and flooded the fort.

(#5)G. Washington and his men were captured.

THE VIRGINIANS MUST SIGN AN AGREEMENT PROMISING TO STAY OUT OF THE AREA FOR 1 YR.

The document was written in French (G.W. could not read French).

He and his men were permitted to march out since France and GB were not officially at war.

By signing the paper, G.W. unknowingly admitted to assassinating the French leader Jumonville…

G.W.’s life is spared - #2

BRITISH GEN. BRADDOCK ARRIVES TO CAPTURE FT. DUQUESNE Braddock with 2,600

British soldiers march toward (#7)Ft. Duquesne, attempting to capture it.

They make a road from VA to the OH Country.

After crossing the Mon. river, they march on at Turtle Creek (near Kennywood Park today).

The march in order while playing drums!

FRENCH & INDIANS AMBUSH THE BRITISH – JULY 9, 1755 G.Washington,

acting as a (#8) guide and advisor (Aide-de-Camp) for the British, warns Braddock that the French & Indians will use (#10)‘guerilla tactics’ in battle (ambush - shoot from cover then move to new spots).

Braddock does not heed G.W’s warning’

1000 British are killed along with Gen.Braddock

Regular forces (French and British) use European tactics (#11):

- Soldiers form parallel lines and face off at 100 yards or less

-Several volleys of musket fire precede a bayonet charge

Battle of the Monongahela July 9, 1755 Tough terrain French defenders

prepare an ambush Braddock fatally

wounded (#9) George Washington

becomes a hero French inflict defeat on British

FRENCH IN FULL CONTROL OF THE OHIO COUNTRY

Washington helped the British retreat while carrying the mortally wounded Braddock.

G.W. had bullets go through his coat and horses shot from under him – his life is spared again! - #3.

Braddock is buried under the road in the mountains (1 mile west of Fort Necessity)

WILLIAM PITT NAMED SECRETARY OF STATE IN BRITAIN (SOON BECOMES PRIME MINISTER)

William Pitt (#12)takes over wartime operations and plans a new campaign to defeat the French in the OH Country.

This is seen as the turning point of the war.

In 1757, he gives command to Gen. Forbes along with 2000 British troops.

Forbes cuts a road across PA to take Ft. Duquesne.

Ft. Ligonier (Loyalhannah)

FT. LIGONIER ATTACKED BY FRENCH & INDIANS – OCT. 12, 1758

About 50 miles from Ft. Duquesne, this fort was Forbes’ advance base for their march to capture the French fort.

French & Indians stage an attack on Ft. Ligonier to make the British think they are a powerful force.

G.W. stops a ‘friendly fire’ incident – saved #4

GEN. FORBES AND COL. WASHINGTON DECIDE TO MARCH ON TO FT. DUQUESNE

The ‘trick’ fails when a prisoner from Ft. Duquesne informs the British that the French have very few men and few Indian allies at this time.

With weather conditions deteriorating, they begin the final assault on Ft. Duquesne.

FT. DUQUESNE FALLS – NOV. 25.1758 Camped a few miles

away, the British hear explosions and learn that the French blew up parts of their fort and (#13) abandoned it.

The British allow it to burn down and later begin constructing (#14)Ft. Pitt, after William Pitt.

British are now in control of the OH Country.

With loss of (#15) Quebec (1759), New France is practically finished

French Navy inEurope defeatedat Quiberon Bay,cannot send help

British blockadeMontreal

Only a matter of time before French are finished off.

END OF THE LINE FOR THE FRENCH…

THE TREATY OF PARIS February 10, 1763

Signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain, with Portugal in agreement

France loses New France and all claims to the territory east of the Mississippi River

Spain ceded Florida to British, but later gets New Orleans and Louisiana from France

France retained islands Saint Pierre Miquelon

BUSHY RUN – AUG.5-6,1763 British Colonel

Henry Bouquet returns to the OH Country with British troops to stop Indian raids on settlers near Ft. Pitt.

He marches across PA using Forbes’ Road (today’s Rt. 30).

The battle took place at Bushy Run (near today’s Greensburg).

AFTERMATH OF WAR

England now largestcolonial empire in the world

The Colonists are independence minded under British rule

North America most prosperous area on earth

The French still continue to inhabit areas around Quebec and Montreal

CONCLUSION The war gave control of

North America to British Colonial officers fought

in the Revolutionary War France and Spain cede

control to England and never regain former possessions

Legacy of French colonialism lives on today in French- speaking Quebec

Eastern Native American tribes suffered greatly and continued rapid decline…