 After quietly taking your seat, take out your binder and turn to the Bellringer section!!

1) What are the three regions of the first 13 colonies? 2) What is one word you would use to describe how the colonists felt after England would pass a Navigation Act? 3) In your own words, define mercantilism.

7 th Grade American History

 Colonies bursting with citizens  Grown from just 50,000 to over a million colonists in just 100 years  Why is this???  Americans had more freedom to run their own country than any other country in Europe; very attractive selling point

 As colonies grow, colonists dream of moving west past the Appalachian Mountains  Wanted to move to the Ohio River Valley  Both Britain and France claimed this region

 Land was controlled by French fur traders for the most part  French forts built deep in Ohio River Valley  British continued to build forts deep into territory  What next???

 France drives British forces out of Ohio River Valley Territory, with the help of the Native Americans  Why did the Native Americans side with the French?  The French wanted to trade furs  French were less imposing than British colonies  Some French even followed Native American customs

 British fear that they will lose land they had already claimed, or even worse, lose the colonies all together.  A young 22-year-old Virginian was sent to tell the French they were trespassing and to leave the Ohio River Valley  George Washington

 French refuse to leave, ignore the British and George Washington aka GW  Governor of Virginia gives GW 150 troops and orders him to build a fort in French Territory near Pittsburg  French had already built Fort Dusquene on the spot…

 GW builds fort nearby; Fort Necessity  Decides to attack French  Drastically outnumbered, loses miserably, forced to surrender  Even though he was defeated, GW still becomes national hero for striking first blow  Start of French and Indian War

 British sent 1,400 troops led by General Edward Braddock to combat the French  GW volunteered to assist Braddock  Warned the general that Britain’s fighting style would not work in the wilderness  Braddock ignored GW, and guess what happened…?

 General Braddock and troops attacked by French and Native Americans firing behind trees  Over 1,000 killed, including Braddock  News of loss reaches Europe, start of Seven Years War

 British struggled for several years while French and the Native Americans used knowledge of Ohio River Valley to their advantage  British keep financing war in America, building lots of debt  (Important for the future!)

 Tide of war changes when British General James Wolfe captures Quebec (Canada!)  Gave British sizeable advantage

 French and British sign the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the wars in Europe and America  Terms  Gave Canada to Britain  British also gained all French lands east of the Mississippi River, except for New Orleans and two other port cities

 Colonists start to move westward to settle new lands  Things have never looked better for the colonists!  So what’s next??...