Unit 4 French Colonization and the French Indian

Unit 4: French Colonization and the French & Indian War Lesson 2: The French & Indian War

Contest for Power § A basic cause of the war was that, by the early 1700 s, France & England both wanted to be the richest & most powerful nation in Europe § Both countries had colonies in North America & the Caribbean, and both had trading outposts in Africa & India

France v. England § This contest for power led to 4 wars in Europe & North America § Only the war fought in North America resulted in major change The French ended up losing all of their land on mainland North America

What’s the Difference? § The War fought in North America had 2 names: § 1. The colonists over here called it The French & Indian War § 2. Europeans called it The Seven Years’ War

Re-Cap § French settlements over here were to the north & west of the English settlements § They also claimed land in the Mississippi River valley

Unwilling to Share § Both France & England claimed the Ohio Valley (west of the 13 English colonies) § They both wanted ownership of that land so they could trade for furs with the Native Americans

One more reason each country wanted the Ohio Valley § For France, the Ohio Valley was between Canada & their settlements in the Mississippi River valley (it would better connect their settlements) § For England, the settlers wanted to move west of the colonies

Who gets the land? § The side that could put up the better fight! § So in this part of the world, you had the French, the British, and the… § Native Americans

§ If these were the 3 groups of people over here, and it was the French v. the British, what would likely be the deciding factor in one side being stronger than the other? § Who the Native Americans chose to support

Which side made the Natives a better offer? § The British could offer them more & better goods § The French offered them respect § Who would you go with? § They went with the French, who, unlike the British, tried to understand the Natives’ lifestyle

One Exception § The Iroquois sided with the British § They were powerful, controlled the fur trade along the St. Lawrence River, & controlled all boat travel on the Great Lakes

Remember? § The French built a string of military forts connecting all of their land between Canada & the Gulf of Mexico § They did this in 1752 to strengthen their claims in the Ohio Valley

§ This made many British colonists, especially those in Virginia, furious § The governor of Virginia accused the French of trespassing on Virginia’s territory, § & he sent George Washington, a young major in Virginia’s militia, to tell them to leave

§ The French commander refused to leave, saying that “no Englishman had the right to trade upon [the Ohio River]. ”

What happened next? § Washington led 150 soldiers from Virginia to build a fort on the Ohio River § He soon learned, however, that the French were already building a fort on the spot they’d wanted § (the French called it Fort Duquesne)

Did Washington do anything to get back at them? § In Pennsylvania, on his way to the proposed fort, Washington met a French scouting party, § ordered his men to attack them, & 10 French soldiers were killed

§ Several more small battles took place in the Ohio Valley before war was officially declared § Then in 1755, about 2, 000 British & 450 colonial soldiers went to capture Fort Duquesne § They were led by General Edward Braddock, with the help of G. Washington

The Problem Braddock Caused § Gen. Braddock was used to the way Europeans fought- § Soldiers lined up in neat rows in open fields § Washington warned him that this style wouldn’t work to fight the French & Native Americans over here

Braddock Didn’t Listen § On July 9, 1755, about 1, 000 British soldiers were killed when the French fired from the woods and hills, rather than visibly from a field like Braddock expected § Braddock himself was wounded & died a few days later

And war still hadn’t even been declared yet! § They finally did so in 1756, & by mid-1757, the French & Native troops had captured 2 major British forts § The British King appointed William Pitt to take control of the war

A new leader pulls the British back up § The war was also being fought in Europe & India, but Pitt believed it would be won in North America § So he sent more troops & the British navy here, & in 1758 the British won several important battles

The hardest task of the war was to… § capture Quebec (capital of New France) § Why was it important to capture it? § Quebec supplied other French forts further up the St. Lawrence § Taking the city would cut off French soldiers’ supplies & make it harder for them to fight

Why would Quebec be so hard to capture? § It was a walled city on top of steep cliffs above the St. Lawrence River § Enemies who tried to climb the cliffs were easy to see & fire upon

§ For these reasons, Quebec was able to resist the siege of 9, 000 British soldiers for several months

§ Eventually, though, the British found a rough, unguarded path winding up the cliffs a few miles away § During the night, 4, 000 soldiers made their way up to the Plains of Abraham (grassy field outside the city)

§ A battle broke out, the French were forced to surrender, & the British captured Quebec § This marked the end of French power in N. America, but fighting continued until 1760 when Montreal (New France’s other major city) was finally captured

Is it over yet? § In 1763, the French & Indian War officially ended when the British & French signed the Treaty of Paris § Treaty: a written peace agreement

Treaty of Paris § Results: England now ruled New France (Canada), the Ohio Valley, § & all French lands east of the Mississippi River (except New Orleans, which was ceded to Spain)

The bad thing about England winning the war § A major reason why English colonists had held onto their connections with England was so England would protect them against the French over here § After the war, the French were no longer a threat to the colonists § This contributed to the colonists’ desire to separate from England (ie: the start of the § Revolutionary War)

Why did everybody come? § Spanish: § riches, sea route to Asia § British: § Roanoke: § expand British empire § Jamestown: § riches § New England: § religious freedom § French: § riches, sea route to Asia, protect their land claims, missionary work

What did all 3 groups have in common? § Mercantilism: § A nation’s desire to expand its power by acquiring wealth & land