Chapter 5 Section 1: Trouble on the Frontier The Road to Revolution Chapter 5 Section 1: Trouble on the Frontier

How did the relationship between the British and the colonies fall apart?

Competing Empires France and Britain each controlled large areas of North America which bordered on each other for thousands of miles. Each country feared the other and sought to increase the area it controlled. These ambitions eventually led to war.

Why did France and Britain fear each other?

The French and Indian War Begins In 1753, the French begin building forts to back their claims to the land between Lake Eerie and the Ohio River. This news alarmed the Virginia Colony because they claimed that same land, so they sent a young George Washington to order the French to leave. The French rejected Washington’s warning.

The French and Indian War Begins Washington traveled back to the Ohio River Valley to build a fort, but French troops were already there building their own fort called Fort Dequesne (du Kane) Washington built a fort 50 miles south of where the French built Fort Duquesne called Fort Necessity. A large French army forced Washington to surrender Fort Necessity but allowed him to return home to Virginia.

Why might the Ohio River Valley be so valuable to French?

The Albany Congress Expecting war to break out with the French, British government calls a meeting with colonist leaders in Albany, New York. The British wanted the colonies to agree to cooperate in defending themselves against the French. The British hope to form an alliance with the Iroquois and thus invite them to the meeting. The Iroquois reject the alliance because they felt the French would defeat the British in a war.

Benjamin Franklin His newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, publishes a picture of a snake chopped into pieces with the warning “Join, or Die.” Franklin drew up a plan called the Albany Plan of Union which would call for a council to have authority over western settlements, relations with Native Americans, and other urgent matters. The council could also organize armies and collect taxes to pay its expenses. The colonies eventually rejected this plan because they preferred to control their own taxes and armies.

Exit Ticket How did most colonists feel about helping the British in their conflict with the French and Native Americans? Explain.

British Defeats How were battles conducted during this era?

Disaster at Fort Duquesne General Braddock had orders to capture Fort Duquesne. He was sent with British troops as well as Virginia militia which included George Washington as a volunteer. General Braddock understood military tactics in Europe where armies fought in formation on open fields. Fighting conditions were different in North America. General Braddock did not respect colonial soldiers and therefore did not listen to warnings of ambushes . British soldiers wore red uniforms making them easy targets for the French and Indians while they hid in the bushes waiting to strike.

Disaster at Fort Duquesne Benjamin Franklin had warned General Braddock of the danger of being ambushed, yet the General felt they would be no threat to his well-trained troops. Braddock’s force was ambushed by French troops and their Native American allies. More than half the force was killed or wounded including General Braddock himself?

Disaster at Fort Duquesne What does General Braddock’s attitude tell you about the British? How might his attitude be seen as a weakness?

More British Defeats An army lead by the governor of Massachusetts failed to take Fort Niagara on Lake Ontario. British colonists and Native Americans were ambushed and suffered heavy losses near Lake George. These losses may have factored into why the Iroquois rejected an alliance with the British. In May 1756, Britain declared war on France, marking the official beginning of the “Seven Years’ War.”

Why do you think the British lost so many battles?

The British Turn the Tide Britain’s situation improved when William Pitt became Prime Minister in 1757. Pitt sought top generals who had military talent, one of which was James Wolfe who was only 30. The war entered a new phase with Pitt in control. Britain scored its first victory of the war when it captured the fort at Louisbourg. The following fall the British took Duquesne and renamed the post Fort Pitt, in William Pitt’s honor.

The British Turn the Tide These victories lead to the Iroquois siding with the British. British victories led them to attack a central French holding; city of Quebec, capital of New France. Quebec was not easy to attack. It was located on a high cliff. At first the British made little progress, yet they discovered an unguarded trail that allowed them to climb the cliffs without being discovered. 4,000 British soldiers defeated 4,500 French soldiers and the British seized the city.

What caused the British to win so many battles? How were the British able to conquer France’s capital of Quebec?

After Quebec Falls After losing Quebec, France could no longer defend the rest of it’s North American territories. Montreal, another important city held by France, fell in 1760, three years after Quebec. In 1763, France and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris. According to the treaty, France surrendered almost all of their North American possessions as well as French Canada. Great Britain also gained all French territories east of the Mississippi. The Native American also lost a great deal. Without French help they could not stop British settlers from moving on their lands.

Exit Ticket How were the British able to defeat the French forcing them to sign a treaty? How did most colonist feel about helping the British? Explain. How might the outcome influence relations between the British and the American colonists?

Homework Think about how the Iroquois felt about the Ohio River valley. Why do you think the Iroquois may have preferred to be neutral in the conflict between France and England? What can you infer about how the Iroquois felt about European conflicts in North America?