Overview of the French and Indian War

1. Overview of the French and Indian War

2. Who fought on which side? • The British: • The British army • The American colonial militia • The Iroquois Confederacy • The French: • The French army • French Canadians • The Huron and Algonquin Indians

3. The British Strategy • Use the British Army and Colonial militia troops to attack the French by invading Canada • Surround Canada’s greatest city, Quebec, and defeat it. • Once Quebec has fallen, France will have to surrender their army and leave North America. • Problems • 1. • 2

4. The French Strategy • Defend Quebec at all costs against the British invasion. • Use their Indian allies to form war parties and attack the American colonists along the undefended frontier. This will force the American soldier to leave the British army and defend their homes. • The French will encourage massacres of Americans by paying money for each American scalp the Indians take • Problems • 1. • 2.

5. The American Colonists • 1. Many colonists feel that the war is not their responsibility. The British need colonial support to win, so they press the Americans into service. • 2. Many colonists experience prejudice at the hands of the British officers. • 3. Once the French begin attacking their homes, Americans desert the British army.

6. British “Brown Bess” Musket 1756 French 1728 Infantry Musket

10. The Huron: Allied to the French

11. The Iroquois Allied to the British