8.1 Fighting for Control

8.1 – FIGHT FOR CONTROL

Conflicting Claims Three countries claimed ownership of

land in North America: France: Northern and central regions England: East Coast Spain: Southern region

Ohio River Valley Region between Mississippi and Ohio

River Claimed by both England and France France wanted control of Mississippi

River and sent troops to push out British

England viewed this as an act of war

The French and Indian War Begins

1754 Alliances

A formal agreement between two groups or people

Both French and British had many Native American alliances

The colonies sent delegates to decide how to handle the war

Delegate – representative

They decided not to take action together as a country

George Washington led the British forces to win the first battle of the French and Indian War at Fort Necessity

The War Expands British were trained to fight in

open fields and they wore bright red uniforms

Lost many battles in the first 5 years

As the war moved to Europe, Britain began winning in the Americas

Treaty of Paris 1763 Document agreeing to end the war France surrendered all lands East of

the Mississippi River and surrendered Spanish Florida

More Troubles Colonists wanted to settle the new lands they

had won Native Americans already lived there

Chief Pontiac unified Native Americans and they captured British Forts

King George III made the Proclamation of 1763

Proclamation – public announcement All land west of the Appalachian

Mountains would belong to the Native Americans.

White settlers in the Appalachian Region were told to leave

Colonists ignored the proclamation and stayed

British budget was hurting after the war Budget: plan for spending money

Parliament (British gov’t) began taxing colonists to pay for the war debts

Parliament passed The Sugar Act Sugar Act placed a tax on sugar and molasses

from the Caribbean The act hurt shipping industries badly, who could

not afford the tax Colonists began speaking out against the taxes

Paying for the War

Discussion Questions:

What caused the French and Indian War? Why do you think colonists wanted to settle in the lands west of the

Appalachian Mountains? Why do you think colonists were so upset about the Proclamation of 1763

and the Sugar Act? What was the purpose of taxing the colonists? The French soldiers learned how to fight like Native Americans. Why do you

think they chose to do this instead of fighting out in fields like they normally would?