french and indian war

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

(1754-1763)

MOVING PAST THE 13 COLONIES

We know have 4 regions in the colonies:

New EnglandMiddle SouthernBackcounty – anything West of

the Appalachian Mountains

BACK COUNTRY

FLASHFORWARD TO LATE 1600s

- France claimed most of the land in the W. part of N. America (called New France)- French, British and Native Americans started selling fur- The fur trade would drag all 3 groups into war.

OHIO RIVER VALLEY

THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY IS ATTRACTIVE- Attracted PA fur traders and VA land companies (both colonist groups)- French began to get anxious because….

1. The increased British that entered New France 2. The increased the chance for France to lose control of key land and riversTENSIONS MOUNT = FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR!!!

WAR BEGINS AND SPREADS- Fought from backcountry to Canada- Soon to be President, George Washington, led 1st British attack on French Fort called Fort Duquesne.- Nat. Americans side with British and French- Treaty of Paris (1763) ended war and ended nearly all the French controlled in N. America- Comb. of war and treaty helped to expand Britain’s Colonial Empire

THE BRITISH ARE MEAN!- British did not treat Nat. Americans as nicely as the French- Nat. Americans fought back BIG TIME!- Due to Nat. American attacks, British learned they would be unable to control all the land so they issued the Proclamation of 1763.- Proclamation FORBADE anyone from settling land WEST of the Appalachian Mts.

NEW COLONIAL IDENTITY-Colonists = angry “Didn’t we just fight (and win) for the right to settle that land?- 1st time of unity for all 13 colonies after this war- Growing more unified over the dispute with Britain

THE ACTS

- Proclamation of 1763 – No one can settle land west of the App. Mts. - King George III made this proclamation to assert authority and control colonists.- This Proclamation was created b/c Britain couldn’t control that much land.- Colonists = MAD!

SWEET LIKE THE SUGAR ACT- Part of the Navigation Acts, which weren’t that bad until the Sugar Act was passed in 1765- This law placed a tax on sugar, molasses and other products shipped to colonists

-The British gov’t (Parliament) used this law to raise $ to pay off Britain’s debt- Colonists said this tax was not fair b/c Britain had no right to tax the colonies and no tax should be created w/o the colonists consent (agreeing).

SIGNED…SEALED…AND DELIVERED…THE STAMP ACT!

- A tax on anything printed on paper.- The law required each official paper document, including newspapers, to have an official stamp to indicate a tax was paid.- Created to raise $$ to pay of Britain’s debt

-The Colonists, led -by Benjamin Franklin, -asked King George III to repeal the act b/c the colonies boycotted those goods to avoid the tax…AND IT WORKED!

CAN’T STAY HERE…THE QUARTERING ACT

-Required colonists to feed and house British troops, no matter what- King George III left10,000 troops in the colonies – needed a place to stay

AIN’T NOTHING BUT A SWEET THANG…THE TEA ACT!

- Most of the Townshend Acts had been repealed, but colonists were still protesting Britain by drinking tea smuggled in from Holland- To help British tea merchants, Britain made a law that only allowed 1 company, East India Trade Co. to sell tea in the colonies = Boston Tea Party

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT…THE INTOLERABLE ACT!

-The Boston Tea Party made Britain mad, they passed the Intolerable Acts to clamp down on resistance in the Mass. Colony- These acts were a direct attack on the colonists’ rights, liberties and freedoms- The result = other colonies were made and offered help to Mass. colony

-So they met in Philadelphia and decided to boycott all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed First Continental Congress