French & Indian War

1. French & Indian War 1756-1763

2. Significance • The French & Indian War is often referred to as “the War that made America”. Although the British & their colonial subjects fought on the same side, a breakdown in the relationship during the war as well as the decision to increase involvement in colonial affairs after the war led to the American Revolution or a desire for independence.

4. Advantages & Disadvantages • France • Too much land & not enough settlers to defend it • Indian allies • Rule by a King – decision making? • Britain • Small area of land to defend & many settlers to defend it • Had few Indian allies • Ruled by a King & the thirteen colonies

5. Who Fought in the French & Indian war & why? • Early colonization by the French & British as well as a history of warfare between the two in Europe came to a head in America. • The French & their Indian allies fought against the British, their colonists, & their Indian allies. • The majority of the native tribes fought with the French as a result of their more positive trade relationship & treatment. • The war was fought over control of the Ohio river valley.

6. The ohio valley • As early as 1753, the French sent an expedition down the Ohio Valley & built Fort Duquesne, where three rivers met. • What are the three rivers? • Ohio, Allegheny, & Monongahela • The purpose of the French Expedition was to protect their trading areas they believed rightfully belonged to them & to repel British traders. • For the British the Ohio Valley is desired because of overcrowding in the east & trading opportunities with the natives.

7. The Ohio Valley • For the Natives, control of the Ohio Valley is an attempt to hold on to their traditional way of life but at the same time they had developed a dependence on European goods.

8. Fort Necessity • In 1753, Virginia Governor Dinwiddie sent George Washington, only 22 at the time, & a British patrol to warn the French to leave the region. Washington builds Fort Necessity to rival Fort Duquesne. • Washington’s patrol is aided by an Iroquois named Half-King who kills the French Officer Jumonville for encroaching upon Native/British land. The French see this as an act of war.

9. The Battle of Fort Necessity • The French & their Indian allies Defeat Washington & the British at Fort Necessity. • The French were successful in maintaining control of the land at the forks of the Ohio, but also in avenging the death of Jumonville. • Washington, forced to surrender, suffers the 1st defeat of his military career.

10. TPS Political cartoon analysis • What is propaganda? Define It. • Why are there only eight segments of the snake? • Why was this image so persuasive to the colonists?

11. Albany plan of union • In 1754, Benjamin Franklin called for the Albany Plan of Union, seven colonies sent delegates, but no plan was adopted • Significant because It was the first attempt to unionize the colonies.

12. The battle of mononGahela • As a result of Washington’s defeat, the British in 1755 sent Major General Edward Braddock to attack the French. • Although a much larger force, the British succumb to guerilla-style fighting in the woods of Pennsylvania. The French owe this victory to their Indian allies & convince them to join their cause against the British. • Braddock is mortally wounded & the British are defeated yet again

13. Fort William henry • Located on Lake George, Fort William Henry was established by the British to protect their American colonies. • In 1755, British General William Johnson with support from the Mohawks is able to stop a French invasion but the British are only able to secure their position. The fort would be the scene of battles to come.

14. A World at war • In 1756, The Seven Years' War begins as Great Britain declares war on France expanding the North American conflict to Europe, Africa, Asia and South America

15. Fort William Henry Falls • In 1757, The French, led by General Louis Montcalm, capture Fort William Henry. • Following the siege, Montcalm offers generous surrender terms to British General Monroe. The British are able to retreat with their belongings. • Montcalm’s decision angers his Indian allies that are expecting the spoils of war. As a result, they capture or kill hundreds of unarmed British as they are retreating. This is known as the Fort William Henry Massacre.

16. Pitt takes charge • In 1758, British Secretary of State William Pitt established a more cooperative policy toward colonial legislatures to receive more support for the war. • The American colonists had feared the war would bankrupt their governments and infringe upon their rights. They saw themselves as loyal to the king, but often felt like they were treated as inferiors by the Crown. The arrival of Pitt won back their support.

17. Siege of fort louisbourg • Considered a turning point in the conflict, in 1758 the British capture the French fortress at Louisbourgin Nova Scotia, opening the St. Lawrence River and the water route to Canada. • At this point, the French are losing Canada. The British and colonial forces laid siege to the fort, and destroyed the last of the Frances battleships in Canada. • the British finally had a firm foothold in Canada.

18. Fort frontenac falls • In 1758, the British capture Fort Frontenac, cutting off all supplies to the French forts in the Ohio River Valley and further west. • Led by General John Bradstreet colonial forces surprised the French by sneak attack, the French are forced to surrender. It proves to be an extremely costly loss for the French as Frontenac was the French supply base for then entire upper country. For the French their supplies are dwindling. • The attack went a long way in proving that colonial soldiers were up to the task of helping the British win the war.

19. Treaty of Easton • The Treaty of Easton is signed with the Six Indian Nations. The British promised no new settlements west of the Alleghenies in return for neutrality in the war and the release of prisoners. • The British learned that to win the war, they would have to build an alliance with the Indians. They sent diplomats to the Iroquois nations to help gain the Indians support for their push toward Fort Duquesne. • Indians in the Ohio Valley were starving and suffering from disease. In order to feed their people and keep their land, the Indians came to terms with the British, realizing it may be the only way to survive. • American colonists are fighting the French and Indian War partly for the right to settle in the disputed Ohio country. Regardless of the Treaty of Easton, settlers head to the backcountry, considering the treaty a "local agreement" that does not affect their land claims.

20. The British finally take fort Duquesne • In 1758, the French surrender Fort Duquesne. Brigadier General John Forbes establishes a British fort, Fort Pitt. • The French realize quickly that they are outnumbered by British, Indian, and colonial forces. They destroy Fort Duquesne and retreat to Canada, giving up their pivotal stronghold at the Ohio River. • The British finally control the piece of land that Braddock failed to capture years ago. • Because of the British win and the Treaty of Easton, it seemed like peace and dominion over the land west of the Alleghenies might be in reach.

21. Fort Niagara falls • In 1759 the British, helped by Iroquois allies, defeat the French at Fort Niagara. • Few supplies for the soldiers and gifts for the Indians are dooming the war effort for the French. The costly war effort in Europe is failing as well. • British victories along the St. Lawrence River have finally made France’s strongholds in Canada vulnerable. The British intend to take advantage of the opportunity by gaining the support of the Iroquois. • War has taken a terrible toll on the Indians. the loss of loved ones and hunger as well as smallpox has decimated entire villages. And without needed gifts from the French, the Indians will have to make peace with the British for their survival.

22. Battle of quebec • The French surrender Quebec after a battle outside the city. Both French commander Montcalm and the British commander James Wolfe are mortally wounded. • After surrounding the city of Quebec, Wolfe had to find a way to make the city fall, or else winter would set in and his efforts would be lost. He prepares a sneak attack on the Plains of Abraham, after shelling the city of Quebec and burning 1,400 houses outside of the city.

23. Montreal falls to the British • The British capture Montreal ending the French and the British conflict in North America. The fighting continues in other parts of the world for three more years. • Once the Iroquois league broke 50 years of neutrality by aligning themselves with the British, the Crown was able to win the war. • Even though the Indians were extremely influential in winning the war, the British consider them savages and intend to treat them as servants to the British masters, rather than partners in North America.

24. The French & Indian War Ends • The Treaty of Paris (1763) ends the war between Britain and France. France gives up eastern Louisiana and all Canadian possessions. Great Britain gives up Newfoundland fishing rights, Guadaloupe and Martininque, and Dakar.

25. Trouble with the natives continues • Pontiac’s War - Ottawa Chief Pontiac unites many American Indian nations in an effort to drive British off their land. Indian uprisings destroy settlements, burn eight British forts, place Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit under siege. Pontiac felt both were being built up in violation of the treaty of Easton. • Pontiac uses religion to inspire the Indians to war against the British to protect their land. The Indians feel betrayed by the changes in British policy, and wage war against the Crown by attacking forts and taking settlers captive in the backcountry. • Settlers in the backcountry fear captivity at the hands of the Indians. Some vigilantes, like the Paxton Boys, feed into rumors about Indian savagery and attack Indian villages -- further fueling the war.

26. Trouble with the natives continues • The Indians are defeated at Battle of Bushy Run in western Pennsylvania. • Colonel Henry Bouquet's expedition to relieve Fort Pitt clashes with and defeats Native American forces at Bushy Run. Bouquet's forces move on to relieve Ft. Detroit and retake Presque Isle. • General Jeffrey Amherst in an attempt to squelch the Indian threat suggested a weapon that he would never use against a European foe giving smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians. • Indian villages were already being ravaged by smallpox, whether the disease was spread through Amherst’s germ warfare or not.

27. Facts & Results of the war • En route to capturing Fort Duquesne, General Forbes builds a line of forts from Philadelphia to present-day Pittsburgh -- the start of what would one day become the Pennsylvania Turnpike. • The Indians took settlers captive as a means to replace family members lost in conflicts and scare colonists from their land. Captives were released as part of the Treaty of Easton, but some, like Mary Jemison, chose to stay with their new Indian families. • New minister for the colonies George Grenville proposed to King George III that the colonies be taxed to help pay for the French & Indian War. • The British victory over the French in North America enlarged the British empire but led to new conflicts with the colonists.

28. Key question • How did the French & Indian War lead to tension between the colonists and the British government? • After the war, the British government cracked down on smuggling and stationed troops in its territories. The colonists viewed these troops as a standing army that might be used against them. • After the war, Prime Minister George Grenville thought it only right that the colonists, as a result of the British protecting them during the war, should help pay for the war as well as the British troops stationed in the colonies to protect them.