French and Indian War Great BritainFrance

Not the French vs. the Indians! The war actually was the French and Indians vs. Great Britain. The British controlled much of the 13 original colonies. The French controlled the middle portion of North America.

Can’t We All Get Along? So what started this war and where did the American colonists stand? Basically, it came down to greed. The British wanted to control trade routes from the colonies into French territory. The French didn’t want the British in their territory. Both sides disagreed over the land, and fighting broke out. The American colonists sided with the British and the Indians more or less sided with the French.

Picking Sides The American colonists sided with the British because most of the colonists came from Great Britain. Think of it this way: Great Britain was the father, the colonists were the children. We needed them to protect us. The Indians sided with the French (mostly) because they feared that the British would steal their land. Some Indians helped the British so they wouldn’t lose their land. Some Indian groups stayed neutral.

British Uniforms British uniforms stood out due to their bright red coloring.

The British Army The British Army was the greatest army in the world. Their soldiers had the best training. Their soldiers had the best weapons. They had the best commanders. Their army was the biggest army in the world by far. They had the best strategies and tactics of any army. They simply did not lose battles or wars!

French Uniforms The French wore a white and blue uniform.

The French Army The French had a large army as well. They were a very well trained army. They also had the Indians helping them out. Most Indians spoke French because the French came from Canada. Many Indian tribes traded with the French settlers.

Weapons of War Flintlock Pistols “Brown Bess” Musket

Bullets and Gun Powder Bullets Animal Horn full of Gun Powder

Firing the Musket Put one bullet in Pour in some gun powder Use the rod to push the bullet and gun powder down the barrel of the gun Pull back on the hammer Pull the trigger to fire

Not as easy as it looks! An experienced soldier would be able to reload their musket in about 15 seconds. When in battle, a soldier was expected to reload their musket quickly. They had about 5-8 seconds to reload. Since the musket only held one bullet at a time, you had to reload after EVERY shot!

The Big Guns Cannons were devastating weapons that could fire from long distances. Cannon balls were smaller then a bowling ball. Cannon Cannon Balls

Indians Many Indian tribes decided to join the French Army because the British Army wanted to take their land and cut off their supply routes. The Indians fought very aggressively and in ways the French and British had never seen before.

Indian Weapons Bow and Arrow Hatchet

A New Way to Fight The European way of fighting was based around honor and respect. Two sides faced each other in lines or rows. Each side traded shots at each other. A truce was formed when one side gave in. The Indian way of fighting was much more brutal then the Europeans way of fighting. They preferred hiding in the woods and using surprise attacks on their enemies. The Indians did not believe in giving up.

So Which Side Won? Vicious fighting continued until 1763 when the British and the American colonists pushed back the French and the Indians. With the French defeated, the British and its colonists were free to greatly expand their territories in America. However, all did not end well. Soon the American colonists would find themselves in a conflict with its British brothers.