Ch. 6 – The Duel for North America
France Finds a Foothold in Canada Latecomer to Americas Foreign war Domestic strife Catholics vs. Protestants
France Finds a Foothold in Canada St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre 1572—10,000 Huguenots butchered
France Finds a Foothold in Canada * 1598—Edict of Nantes Limited toleration of French Huguenots (protestants) King Louis XIV (1643-1715)
France Finds a Foothold in Canada Quebec “New France” St. Lawrence River Samuel de Champlain Huron Indian alliance (against Iroquois Confederacy) Autocratic government Slow population—only 60,000 by 1750 Little economic motive No religious motive—only Catholics
France Finds a Foothold in Canada
New France Fans Out Beaver Jesuits— marginally successful missionaries Coureurs de bois Indian recruitment Disease & alcohol Ecological damage Jesuits— marginally successful missionaries Explorers & geographers
New France Fans Out Explorers Antoine Cadillac—1701, Detroit Robert de La Salle—1682, Mississippi to Louisiana New Orleans 1718— block Spanish Strategic location
The Clash of Empires King William’s War (1689-1697) &Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) British colonists vs. coureurs de bois Primitive guerrilla warfare French Indian allies—brutal attacks on settlers
The Clash of Empires British failure—Quebec & Montreal British success—Port Royal in Acadia (Nova Scotia) Treaty of Utrecht 1713 Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay “Pinched” St. Lawrence settlements Limited Trading rights in Spanish America
The Clash of Empires War of Jenkins's Ear--1739 Limited trading rights with Spanish America Smuggling British Captain Jenkins lost ear to Spanish revenue authority Caribbean sea & Georgia James Oglethorpe (kicked their trash) Robert Jenkins shows his severed ear to British Prime Minister Robert Walpole in a 1738 depiction of his presentation at Parliament
The Clash of Empires Became King George’s War—large scale France allied with Spain N.E. Captured “impregnable” Fortress of Louisbourg Peace treaty 1748 returned Louisbourg to French New Englanders--outraged
George Washington Inaugurates War with France Ohio Valley British colonists—want to move west French—key to continent Links Canada with Mississippi holdings 1749 British speculators secured “legal” rights to 500,000 acres French--building Fort Duquesne
George Washington Inaugurates War with France 1754 Lieutenant colonel George Washington sent to secure VA claim Virginians fire first French retreat
George Washington Inaugurates War with France Fort Necessity—French return and Washington forced to surrender entire command July 4, 1754 4000 French Acadians forced to move to south—become “Cajuns” Rebuilt Fort Necessity. It’s easy to see why it wasn’t very defensible. Do you get the irony?
Global War & Colonial Disunity French & Indian War 1st Anglo-French war started in New World Started with G. Washington—1754 Became Europe’s Seven Years’ War Britain & Prussia vs. France, Spain, Austria, & Russia Fought on 7 seas “[French] America was conquered in Germany.” ~~William Pitt
Global War & Colonial Disunity 1754—Albany Congress Keep Iroquois Tribes loyal to British Inter-colonial unity--unsuccessful “Join, or Die” ~~Benjamin Franklin From Pennsylvania Gazette
Braddock’s Blundering & Its Aftermath General “Bulldog” Braddock 1755—2000 men to Fort Duquesne French & Indian kill him & destroy his forces in forest fight (guerilla warfare)
Braddock’s Blundering & Its Aftermath George Washington Braddock’s aide—2 horses shot out from under him & 4 bullets pierced his coat He is left with 300 men to defend “scorched frontier” from Indian raids See… George Washington IS cool.!!
Braddock’s Blundering & Its Aftermath 1756 British launch full invasion of Canada British err—don’t attack main forts of Quebec & Montreal which would have cut off supplies to other outposts
Pitt’s Palms of Victory William Pitt—”Great Commoner” & “Organizer of Victory” 1757 Back off French West Indies Concentrate on Quebec-Montreal area
Pitt’s Palms of Victory 1758—Fort Louisbourg fell after siege
Pitt’s Palms of Victory Quebec--1759 James Wolfe---scaled cliff with men at night Plains of Abraham—next morning Marquis de Montcalm vs. James Wolfe Both died, but French defeated Montreal fell 1760 France lost all power in New World James Wolfe’s death at the Plains of Abraham
Pitt’s Palms of Victory Treaty of Paris 1763 French kept sugar islands in West Indies French ceded Mississippi-Louisiana area to Spain Spain exchanged Florida for Cuba with British British dominant in North America & in oceans
Pitt’s Palms of Victory
Restless Colonists Friction between British & Americans: British arrogance vs. Americans as “cutting edge” British refused to recognize militia commissions above captain (i.e. George Washington) Colonial reluctance to unite to cause American shippers & smuggling Colonists distant from the war
War’s fateful Aftermath Pontiac 1763 Wanted to lead British out of Ohio country British retaliation—harsh & quick I.E. British infected blankets with smallpox British keep regular troops along frontier—which colonists pay for
War’s fateful Aftermath Land-hungry colonists—move past Appalachian Mountains Proclamation of 1763 Purpose—Indian “problems” Americans—defiance & “destiny”
War’s fateful Aftermath Energetic Americans + proud, successful British=future conflict