The French and Indian War… The North American Theater of the Seven Years’ War
Feb 25, 2016
The French and Indian War…
The North American Theater of the Seven Years’ War
Learning Targets for the Day
• You should be able to identify the major players in the French & Indian War
• You should be able to cite the four primary reasons why the French & Indian War began
• You should be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of both the French and British.
• You should be able to analyze the reasons why Native Americans aligned with either the French or the British
Just so you know…
• This conflict spanned the entire globe: Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines
• Countries involved: Great Britain, France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Saxony, Spain & Russia– We are going to focus on the North American
theater of war: The French & Indian War
Who were the major players?
The British The French
The Iroquois
Spanish, French & British Colonies circa 1700
British ColoniesNew France
New Spain
Disputed Areas
Boundary of Iroquois League
What were the major causes of tension?
1. Land, land, land–French & British coexist in North America
for nearly 100 years• BUT, both are seeking to expand their territory
–Problem: France and Britain both claim the Ohio River Valley as their own!• Zoinks!
2. Both French and British ignored the plight of the Native American–Results in animosity between the
Native American and the settlers• Great Britain also has many more settlers than
France resulting in greater enmity
What were the major causes of tension?
What were the major causes of tension?
3. Religion– British settlers practiced what faith?• Denominations of Protestantism
– French settlers practiced what faith?• Catholicism
– What problem may this create?• British feared that their religious freedoms may be
limited with increased French presence on the continent, and allegiance to the Pope
What were the major causes of tension?
4. FUR! Namely, beaver fur!– Beaver Wars (1640 – 1701) fought between
French and their allies & Iroquois Confederation• French allies: Huron, Algonquians and the Mohicans• Beavers growing scarce in Iroquois territories
– Uses for Beaver Fur:• Native Indians traded the Beaver pelts for advanced
weapons, tools, beads, European goods • Beaver hats = status symbol for position and wealth;
hat sales were extremely important source of income for English & French
Make dams…not
war!
Native Americans Choose Sides
• Indians did not want to side with either, but had to make a choice
• Both France and Britain tried to gain Indian support
British ColoniesNew France
New Spain
Disputed Areas
Boundary of Iroquois League
Choosing Sides
• French– Trappers– Traders– Lived amongst the
land– Married Native
American women– Adopted Native
American ways• Algonquin & Huron
• Britain– Lowered price of trade
goods– More powerful– Cleared land for farms– Ignored Indian rights– Enslaved Native
Americans• Iroquois– Enemies of Huron &
Algonquin (and still hostile from Beaver Wars)
British Advantages
1. Alliance between English and Iroquois (6 Indian nations: Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and the Tuscarora).
2. Stronger army and navy, and better trained men
3. English settlers (1.5 million) outnumbered French settlers (75,000) 15x
French Advantages
1. Extensive system of forts in the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region
2. Single system of command…– What about the colonists?
3. Better relationship with Native Americans due to trade (hunters, trappers and traders) and less settlement
4. French better suited to fighting in wilderness
British Disadvantages
• Colonies could not agree on a united defense
• 13 separate colonial assemblies could not act quickly
• Fighting “style”
French Disadvantages
• Difficult to defend• Smaller population
Throw Down…1747-1750
• Ohio Company formed by Virginian land speculators granted 200,000 acres by the king– What country did these men
pay allegiance to?
• France’s response: build forts along the Ohio River Valley and fortify with 2,000 soldiers
Throw Down…1753• Virginian governor’s
response: – Sends a guy named George
Washington to deliver a message:• “France, you better get out or
else.”• France’s reply: “You can’t make
us! You’re not the boss of us!”• Washington returns to Virginia
with his tail between his legs…
Oh no you didn’t!
Robert Dinwiddie
Throw Down…1754• Fast forward one year:– Governor sends Washington
and a crew (approx 36 men) to build a fort at the forks of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers…where is that?!?
– Problem: The French had already begun building a fort in the same place (500 men) • Named after the governor of New
France:
Go Steelers?!? Wait, who are the Steelers?
LOOK FAMILIAR?
What to do now?!?
• Washington moves his men 50 miles south to Great Meadow
• May 28, 1754: Washington surrounds French forces with the help of the Seneca Indian chief (member of the Iroquois nation)– French had 13 casualties and 21 captured– British had 1 casualty and a few wounded
• Became known as Jumonville Glen after the French leader killed there– First battle of the war…
Jumonville Glen
Hmmm…what to do now?!?
Fort (of) Necessity
• In five days, Washington and his troops build a fort (June 3, 1754)
• One month later, on July 3, 600 French and 100 Indians fought Washington and his men.• British casualties much worse than French.• At midnight, signed truce• …Although it was in French and Washington couldn’t
read French!
• Washington surrendered fort to French.
Solid American craftsmanship???
The Albany Congress, June 19th – July 11th, 1754
• The first meeting of the colonies to discuss forging a union of the 13 colonies– 7 of the 13 attended: • CT, MD, MA, NH, NY, PA & RI
• Proposed union: each state would send delegates to the council, a president would be elected
The Albany Plan of Union
• Proposed by Benjamin Franklin
• Focus: Indian relations, military preparedness, trade regulations–Albany Congress say,
“Heck yeah…”–But the individual
colonies REJECT the plan…why?
This is what I looked like during the French &
Indian War!
Interpretation, please…
General Edward “Bulldog” Braddock
• British want control of entire Ohio River Valley– Where would be the most strategic location to
control?• Braddock sent to capture Fort Duquesne…
problem resided in his military tactics– Use to fighting in the open fields of Europe in
columns or lines; very structured• Washington joins as a volunteer• Movement was slow:– Pack animals, road needed to be built, supplies
from colonies did not arrive, many soldiers fell ill
This
Will NOT work here!
I should’ve listened to Ben
Franklin…maybe then I wouldn’t
have DIED!
• July 9, 1755• Braddock was attacked near • Massacred by the French and Indians– 2,200 British• 977 killed
– 1,000 French and Indians• 9 killed
• Washington ordered the retreat• After the battle, Washington was sent to guard the
coast of Virginia
Disaster at Fort Duquesne
Hey guys!
The Fall of Braddock (1755)
Tally-ho!
Braddock’s Burial
DEAD
Braddock’s Grave
Up close and personal…
The Seven Years’ War
• May 1756: Britain formally declares war on France:–Allied selves with Austria and Prussia–Fighting spread to West Indies, India and
Europe
William Pitt
• 1757 – Britain’s new Prime Minister– Pitt believed that to win control of the overall war,
he needed to win the front in North America– Sent Britain’s best generals to North America– Sent more supplies and men to North America
• BUT – Forcibly recruited colonists– Seized supplies and equipment from local
farmers and tradesmen– Compelled colonists to offer shelter to British
troops
The British Turn the Tide
• 1758– Fort Duquesne captured by the British and renamed
Fort Pitt• 1758 – British win many key victories (which we will NOT
focus on!)• Louisburg (use of navy to control the seas)• Frontenac• Duquesne• Niagara• Crown Point• Ticonderoga
The British Turn the Tide
• 1759: British capture Quebec (capital of New France)– British sneak up cliff (Plains of Abraham)
outside of Quebec on an unguarded trail • 4,000 men on the side of the Brits
– General Wolfe defeats the French General Montcalm (both die…no lols here!)
• 1760: British take over Montreal• Fighting ends in North America..Woo Hoo!
Montcalm Wolfe
Dead
Dead
Plains of Abraham
The Capture of Montreal 1760
Wolfe…Dead
How can I possibly go on?
Montcalm…DeadI hope this doesn’t
take long…I’m kinda hungry!
12
3
5
46
6
1760 - War in North America is Over
Battle Worksheet
Treaty of Paris - 1763
• Marked the end of French power in North America– French ceded some of West Indies and colonies
in India– Transferred Canada and all other French
territory east of Mississippi• Ceded New Orleans and their claims west of
Mississippi to Spain..Olé
Tally Sheet
• Britain now controlled:– Canada…au revoir “New France”– All lands east of the Mississippi River– Spanish borderlands (Florida)
• France only controlled:– A few islands in the West Indies
• Spain now secured: – All lands west of the Mississippi River
You ask…I deliver!• Areas once belonging to Rupert's
Land include all of Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan, southern Alberta, southern Nunavut, northern parts of Ontario and Quebec, as well as parts of Minnesota and North Dakota and very small parts of Montana and South Dakota.
• Prince Rupert of the Rhine = Charles I’s nephew and first governor of the Hudson Bay Company
Consequences of the War
• Expanded England’s territorial claims in the New World
• Enlarged Britain’s debt• Tension between British and the
colonists:– Colonists didn’t put forth much effort
toward the war– Some colonists sold food and other
goods to the French in the West Indies• England decides to restructure the
empire – increasing British authority
The British
Consequences of the War
• Forced colonists to act in unison against a common foe
• Friction of 1756-1757 over British policies = unwanted British presence
• Important socializing experience for men who served in army
The Colonists
Consequences of the War• British victory was
disastrous for Natives in Ohio Valley
• Iroquois:– British saw their wavering
support as duplicity – Iroquois alliance quickly
unraveled; Iroquois Confederacy crumbled by the end of the Revolutionary War