Review

• British colonies already in full swing along with many other countries

• Mercantilism?

Make country self sufficient by selling more goods abroad than it imported

The French and British fought over who controlled the Ohio River Valley and the Great Lakes area.

Overall, the Indians tried to maintain a balance ofpower between the French and the British.

In the French

and Indian War:

•Most Indians fought alongside the French because they treatedthe Indians with respect and generosity.

•The British treated Indians harshly and took their lands for farming.

French and Indian War born

English• 1.5 million• Divided/disorganized• Arrogant• Mismanaged war• Failed using local

resources

French• 70-90,000• Disciplined/united• Controlled area• Indian allies

In the early years of the war, from 1754 through to 1758, the British were defeated by the French and their Indian allies. –Pushed from Ohio to Pennsylvania

A young George Washington led an early battle against the French in 1754. (warned French, promoted, returned to defeat scout team, defeated at Fort Necessity) HERO

Goal to capture Fort Duquesne from smaller French/Indian force. The death of General Edward Braddock in a French and Indian ambush was a significant defeat for the British. Washington barely escapes and Indians push into Penn and NC.

Fort Duquesne

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Seven Years War

• 1756 conflict spread to Europe

• Prussia sided with Britain while Austria sided with the French

• War going badly in NA so William Pitt put in charge of Redcoat army

• Put tons of troops and ships in NA and spent millions of dollars

William Pitt

• the “Great Commoner”• won at Louisburg – first significant British

victory in the war. Controlled St. Lawrence River

• James Wolfe led a group that forced a heavily defended Montreal to surrender, defeating the French

• One of the most significant battles in British and American history – removed all French power from North America

In 1758 and 1759, the British interrupted the shipment of French supplies and started to win battles.

Many Indians deserted the French to fight on the British side.

The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the war and greatly increased British territory.

• They attacked British forts and the new British settlements.

• They tried to weaken the British in any way they could, in order to lure the French back.

• The British stopped supplies to the Indians.

• British settlers quickly moved into Indian lands in western Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The Indians rebelled.The British conquest was not good for the Indians.

Indians captured most British forts in Ohio Valley but not biggest 3. (Detroit, Niagara, Pitt)

This Indian uprising called Pontiac’s Rebellion ended in 1764.

The British agreed settlers would remain east of the Appalachian Mountains.

Putting the Empire Right

• Britain national debt doubled between 1754 and 63

• Spending 5x as much on colonies around the world

The British The Colonies

wanted more control over the colonies

did not want British control

wanted the colonies to help pay for the wars

wanted more land for settlements

wanted the colonies to join together under the Albany Plan of Union

wanted to maintain their individual autonomy

wanted colonies to cooperate in time of war

did not want to be unfairly taxed by the British

Tensions arose between the British and colonists after the French and Indian War.

• unite the colonies under British rule.

• unite the colonies in fighting wars.

• create a continental assembly with delegates from each colony.

Colonial leader Benjamin Franklin drafted the Albany Plan of Union that would:

Franklin drew this political cartoon to encourage support of colonial unity and his plan.

The colonists and the British each rejected the Albany Plan for their own reasons. Didn’t want to give up individual independence.

The colonists increasingly resented the erosion of their autonomy and the involuntary tax burden.

In the 1760s, the British placed new, unwanted taxes and regulations on the colonists.