French and Indian War Critical Essay

The French and Indian War, a colonial manifestation of the same forces and tensions that erupted in the European Seven Years’ War, was, quite simply, a war about expansionism. The French and the English were competing for land and trading privileges in North America; which lead to land dispute, particularly the Ohio Valley. Each nation saw this territory necessary to seize to increase its own power and wealth while limiting the strength of its rival. Although the war itself occurred from a simple being, its consequences were far- reaching.

The English had won the war and decided the colonial fate of North America, but yet at the same time showed the beginning of a colonial revolution. After the war, the British ended their reign of salutary neglect, so the colonials would be watched under a closer eye. The British also raised taxes in an effort to pay for the war. Both of these postwar plans resulted in massive colonial displeasure and added to nationalism that eventually exploded in the Revolutionary War.

Thesis Statement: Prior to the French and Indian War the colonists enjoyed salutary neglect, but soon after the defeat of France and the acquirement of French land, the almighty British implemented mercantilism, settlement restrictions, and several controversial duties in the colonies. Economic The French and Indian war took a large toll on the American Indians lives. The British took revenge against Native American nations that fought on the side of the French by completely off their supplies and forced these native tribes to follow their rules.

Native Americans that had fought on the side of the British with the understanding that their cooperation would lead to an end to European invasion on their land were unpleasantly surprised when many new settlers began to move in. Furthermore, with the French presence gone, there was little to distract the British government from focusing its attention on whatever Native American tribes lay within its grasp. Colonists were forced to trade raw materials for goods. Ideological Relations Before the French and Indian War broke out, the main issue facing the two colonial powers was separation of the continent.

The English were settled along the eastern seaboard, in Georgia, the Carolinas, and what the Northeastern United States is now. The French controlled Louisiana in the South and the far North, and Northeast Canada. The Cherokee and Choctaws inhabited the mountainous region in between the two powers and attempted to maintain their independence by trading with both nations. France regarded itself as possessor of all disputed lands in the west, including the Ohio Valley. The English needless to say, disputed the French claim.

Although the French lay claim to far more territory than the English did, the French territory was lightly populated. Often French territory was not marked by the existence of outposts or towns but simple forts manned by only a few men. English territory, by contrast, was rapidly being populated. The pressures of a growing population, the desire for expansion, and impatience to gain access to the profitable fur trade of the Great Lakes region impelled an intense English desire to extend westward during the 18th century. Political During the late 1740’s, the British slowly moved to expand their land.

In the 1740’s, they constructed a trading fort, Oswego, on the banks of Lake Ontario. In 1749, the Ohio Company, a group of Virginian investors, successfully petitioned the English crown for lands in the Ohio area with the purpose of building a settlement. The next year a conference was held in Paris in an attempt to sort out some of the conflicting claims. There was little progress was made. In 1752, the Marquis Duquesne assumed the office of governor of New France, with specific instructions to secure possession of the Ohio Valley.

All of these small tensions set the stage for the French and Indian War to explode. Colonists now had to obey British laws that were enforced by these governors. These governors were appointed by the king or the proprietor. Colonial legislatures made laws for each colony and were monitored by the colonial governors. While the War has often been portrayed as merely a fight between England and France, the many Indian nations that lived in these regions played a pivotal role in both the instigation and the outcome of the conflict.

The fight for control of the continent was a fight between three nations, and until the late 18th century it was not at all certain which one would win. The Indians, especially the five nations of the Iroquois, were exceptionally good at playing the French and the English against each other in order to maximize their own benefits. The French and Indian War was a guerrilla war of small skirmishes and surprise attacks. The land was unfamiliar to both the French and the English; the involvement of the Indian nations as allies in battle made an enormous difference.

Faced with the greater resources of the British and lacking the advantage of their Indian allies, the French were left with little hope, and soon lost the continent. Prior to the French and Indian War the colonists enjoyed salutary neglect, but soon after the defeat of France and the acquirement of French land, the almighty British implemented mercantilism, settlement restrictions, and several controversial duties in the colonies.