1. Causes of the American Revolution
Standard 3

2. Prologue to the Revolution: French & Indian War
England vs. France
Only 1 of the 4 wars fought between 1689 and 1754 that began in the colonies & spread to Europe.
It was a war between Empires, to increase their access to raw materials.
Causes of the war
From the British perspective the French provoked the war by building a series of forts in the Ohio River Valley.
From the French perspective, these forts were necessary to halt the westward growth of British colonies.
Both wanted to add the Ohio River Valley to their empire.

3. Prologue to Revolution: The French & Indian War
Meaning of the war’s name
The phrase “French & Indian War” is misleading.
This is the title the British gave to the war.
The title is misleading because it leads to the false idea that the French and Indians were fighting each other.
The Indians
Both the British and the French had Indian allies that fought along side their armies and their colonists.
The Algonquian fought for the French
The Iroquois Confederation fought for the British.

4. Prologue to the Revolution: French & Indian War
The First Battle of the French & Indian War
Fort Duquesne
Modern day Pittsburgh, PA.
Duquesne was a French fort almost completed in
Virginia sent a small militia under George Washington, a young colonel of the Virginia Regiment, to attack & halt construction.
On July 3, 1754, Washington lost.
This battle began the French & Indian War.

5. Prologue to the Revolution: French & Indian War
The French & Indian War
In 1755, another expedition under General Edward Braddock was sent out to Fort Duquesne.
Braddock’s forces of over 2,000 British regulars lost to a smaller force of French & Algonquin.
This led to the frontier of the British colonies from Pennsylvania to North Carolina succumbing to French & Indian attacks.
Finally, the British were once again unsuccessful in gaining Quebec in
The war initially did not go well for the British & the colonial allies.

6. Prologue to Revolution: The French & Indian War
Albany Congress, 1754
Ben Franklin, representing Pennsylvania, put forth a plan called the “Albany Plan of Union.”
It called for all the colonies to unite as one
Under his plan, a British official appointed by the King would help coordinate things like defense amongst all colonies.
He created this cartoon to show his point.
The separate colonies had never before joined together officially for any effort.
The Great Awakening had come the closest to something that was experienced by every colony.

7. The French & Indian War British Victory
The British finally achieved victory in 1758, taking the French fort of Louisburg in Nova Scotia.
The following year Quebec fell to the British.
In 1760, Montreal was captured.
At this point the French sought to negotiate an end to the war.

8. Prologue to Revolution: French & Indian War
Treaty of Paris of 1763
Ended the French & Indian War
The French and the Algonquian are losers; the British, colonists, & the Iroquois are the winners.
Britain gained New France (Quebec), lands east of the Mississippi, and Florida.
EXECPT for the port of New Orleans, which went to the Spanish, as they helped the British defeat the French.
Legacy of the French & Indian War
Britain’s defeat of France made it the supreme authority in North America
It was also now the dominant naval power of the world.