1. The French and Indian War
Another Step in the Duel for North America

2. New France: founded in 1608 by Samuel deChamplain
Only Catholics (Huguenots weren’t allowed)

3. THESIS:
The French and Indian War was the major turning point in American colonial relations with the mother country Britain.

4. Background: King William’s War 1689-1697
British fought the French and Indian Allies
Indian raids against Deerfield and Schenectady
British gained Port Royal but returned it in peace negotiations
British failed to conquer Quebec
King William III of England

5. Attack scene at Deerfield Massachusetts

6. Background: Queen Anne’s War 1702-1713
British fought against France, Spain and Native Americans
English failed to take Montreal and Quebec
Peace of Utrecht: England gained Acadia, Newfoundland, and trade rights in Spanish America
Queen Anne of England

8. Background: The War of Jenkins Ear and King George’s War
English versus the French and Spanish
New Englanders under Mass. governor William Shirely invaded New France and captured Louisbourg- an important seaway fort
Louisbourg was given back to France in the 1748 Treaty
In exchange for returning Louisbourg, the British got back conquered territory in Flanders and India.
The decision to return Louisbourg was unpopular in Britain too
King George II of England

10. The Iroquois: Pawns in the Game of Empire
They held the strategic position between New France and the British colonies
British tended to be more arrogant toward natives and French constructed military alliances with Indians to hold off British expansion
British goods were better, cheaper and more available due to British naval control
British had about 1.5 million people and tended to bring settlements
French had about 70,000 men, dispersed throughout the wilderness. Their string of forts presented less of a threat to the Indians than the British did
Coureurs de bois… traded and lived like natives, came in smaller numbers too

12. The War Begins: Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was built to stem British expansion into the Ohio River Valley
Virginia governor Robert Dinwiddie sent Washington to evict the French
Washington attacked an advance patrol, reinforcements and natives counterattack and defeat him at Fort Necessity
Dinwiddie, and probably Washington too had financial interests in the Ohio River valley region through land companies
This was the first “world war” that began in America and spread to Europe, the other three (WAGS) began in Europe and spread to America
Washington surrendered on July 4th and returned to Virginia
Model of Fort Duquesne

13. Albany Plan of Union 1754
First attempt at colonial unity, due to oncoming war with France and Indians. It failed as both colonists and Parliament rejected it

16. General Braddock
British sent large numbers of troops to the colonies, displaced the Acadians from Nova Scotia
With 2200 men, Braddock set out to avenge Washington’s defeat
Braddock looked down his (prominent??) nose at both colonists and Indians. Quote on page 429 of Alan Taylor
General Braddock

18. Braddock Defeated
Braddock was ambushed by Native Americans and French, suffering 1000 casualties
Washington directed the retreat and revived his military career
The war was going on in Europe (England and Prussia versus Fr, Sp, Austria, and Russia) as well as India

19. Engraving of the defeat of Braddock

20. Washington leading the retreat

21. Impact of Braddock’s defeat
Native American on the frontier were emboldened
French and Natives go on the offensive but French general Montcalm began alienating the Indians
French eventually “write off” Canada after poor harvests and numerical inferiority
French eventually destroy Duquense and flee, the British rebuild it as Fort Pitt 1758
6800 French soldiers with 2700 colonists and natives versus 45,000 British soldiers and colonists
Also, as the British navy gained control of the Atlantic, French trade goods dwindled and some native American groups (Shawnee and Lenni Lenape) deserted the French and reopened trade with Pennsylvanians
Fort Pitt was approximately ten times larger than Duquesne… The Natives were right to view the British as a greater threat

22. Washington raising the flag at Fort Pitt

23. Prime Minister William Pitt
By changing generals and strategy: (focus on capturing strongholds: Quebec, Montreal, Louisbourg, not all of New France) he was the “organizer of victory”
1758 General Amherst captured Louisbourg
William Pitt

24. General Wolfe General Montcalm

25. Battle for Quebec 1759
General Wolfe scaled the cliffs outside the city to reach the Plains of Abraham
Montcalm comes out of the fort for the first conventional battle in the New World
Both generals die as a result of the Battle, and Quebec falls to the British

26. British Landing at Quebec

28. The Death of General Wolfe: painting

29. The End of the War
In a three pronged attack, the British attack and defeat Montreal 1760
1762: Spain joins the war, hoping to limit the gains of the British, they too are defeated
1763: Treaty of Paris
France gave Louisiana to Spain
Spain gave Florida to British
West Indies colonies were returned to original colonizers
At the end of the war, the question was, now that Britain had a huge empire, could they protect it??
Spain and France now waited for a chance to get revenge on Britain…hmmm

30. Indian Rebellions Cherokee on the N.Carolina frontier
Great Lakes and Ohio Valley forts were captured by Indians (except Detroit, Niagara, and Pitt)
Pontiac was blamed for “organizing” the native revolts. Most acted in their own interest
General Amherst was also blamed for being unable to “control” the situation. He was eventually replaced by General Gage; and British policy turned away from war to gaining cooperation through gifts and trade
Proclamation of 1763 was designed to deal fairly with the Indian problem on the frontier
The Paxton Boys rebellion in Western Pennsylvania was caused by uneasiness over Indian rebellions on the frontier. The Paxton Boys massacred Indians at Conestoga and then marched on Philadelphia to kill refugees. They were talked out of violence by Franklin and British troops

31. The Paxton Boys 1764
Scotch Irish on frontier were upset that Quakers and colonial government seemed unconcerned about Indian problems on the frontier
They attacked a Conestoga Indian village, eventually marched on the capital Philadelphia,
Franklin eventually mediated by arranging a meeting between colonial officials and the Paxton Boys.

32. Paradoxical Victory
British helped train the “enemy”: Colonists that would eventually lead and fight in the Continental army (colonists lost some confidence in the British military too)
Pontiac’s rebellion and the Proclamation Line created tension between Britain and colonists
Large military presence in America concerned the colonists: What was the real purpose?
Costliness of the war led England to reconsider policy of salutary neglect, lax enforcement of Navigation Laws

33. More Paradoxes
The “Attitude” problem: British were arrogant toward colonials, some colonies traded with France and had to be bribed to fight
Growing strength of population and economy made the colonists more politically assertive
Colonies gain a sense of unity- they felt they were the “cutting edge” of the empire
Removal of the French “threat” gave colonists the chance to pursue more independent policies

34. Symbols and Images Reflections of colonial efforts
French: Coureur de bois and jesuit priests
Spanish Conquistador
English Puritan or Virginia planter
Pontiac, Hurons, Iroquois- pawns
Washington- symbol of the double role of American and British subject (colonists were frustrated by “2nd class” role/status
French and Indian War: A Cause of the Revolution??