American History Unit 1 Lecture 7

The Road to Conflict – Part I

The French and Indian War

The French and Indian War

The French and Indian War sets the stage for conflict between Britain and its American Colonies

1

The French and Indian War

• 500 year old rivalry between Britain and France comes to America

• Conflict begins over land in the area of Western Pennsylvania

• Erupts into war between France and their Indian allies and Britain, the Colonists, and their Indian allies.

• Colonies want to expand West – French and Indians resist

Course of the War• France wins many early

battles; war is fought both in Europe and N. America

• George Washington, a young Lieutenant fighting for the British colonies, loses one of the war’s earliest skirmishes

• William Pitt, a British politician turns the tide of the War

2

The War Ends

• Powerful Iroquois join the side of the British and Colonies

• The French city of Quebec is captured• War lasts for 9 years, and includes fighting in

Europe. • By 1763, French are defeated and lose

virtually all of their lands in North America!

3.

Victory leads to conflict

The French and Indian War set the stage for conflict between Britain and its American Colonies2 Key Reasons:Proclamation of 1763Increase in taxes to pay for war

Victory leads to ConflictProclamation of 1763

• After winning French and Indian War, Britain wants peace in the colonies

• PROCLAMATION OF 1763 – Bans colonists from settling West of the Appalachian Mountains

• Hope to avoid further conflict with Indians

Victory leads to Conflict

Proclamation of 1763

• Proclamation angered colonists• Moved past line against wishes of

the British• Colonists believe the line shows

the British don’t care about them

Victory leads to Conflict

British Expenses• Britain had spent a lot of

money on the French and Indian War

• National debt was doubled• Keeping troops in the

colonies was expensive

Increased Taxes• Britain begins cracking

down on smuggling by American colonists

• British pass SUGAR ACT – says smugglers will be tried by British Courts – not Colonial Courts

• Angers Colonists and protests begin

1. From http://ns1763.ca/remem/7yw-timeline-w.html

2. From http://www.nebraskastudies.org3. From http://jb-hdnp.org/