Download - 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?