3.2 The Seven Years’ War (The French and Indian War)

Why did Britain opt to close access to the Ohio River Valley for the colonies?

1. Land Inhabited by Indigenous Groups: (didn't want conflict with groups)

2. Land Claimed by the French (didn't want conflict with the French)

What did Washington attempt to do while appointed as ltn colonel?

Attempt to inform French at the Ohio River valley on how they were encroaching British territory

What did the French commander at Fort Duquesne do?

Ignored George Washington’s warning

Where did the French and Indian War (seven years war) begin?

North America, but later grew in to a worldwide conflict

What did Britain recognize as necessary to protect themselves from French encroachment?

An alliance with American Indians

Who established the Albany Congress?

British

What was the Albany Congress’ goal?

To forge an alliance with the Iroquois Confederacy

What did the Iroquois initially want to do?

Remain neutral - but eventually supported the British

Who did the French ally with?

Algonquin and Huran peoples

Who proposed the Albany Plan of Union?

Benjamin Franklin

What did the Albany Plan of Union do?

• Gave delegates power to tax and raise militias

  • Common defense

  • Strategic relations with American Indians

• First attempt to unite colonies under single representative body

  • Failed miserably

Why did the Albany Plan of Union fail miserably?

• Colonial leaders thought that the plan took away too much of their power to foreign themselves independently

• Great England felt that it took away too much of their authority over the colonies

Who wins the seven years war?

The British

Why did the British end up winning the war?

British outnumbered French in north america

What was the Peace of Paris of 1763?

• Fundamentally changed the map of north America

  • Space ceded Florida to great britain

  • France ceded their territory west of the Mississippi river to spain

  • FRANCE GAVE UP THEIR TERRITORY IN THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY TO GREAT BRITAIN

Who was Pontiac?

• Assembled an alliance of indigenous tribes to resist British encroachment after the seven years war

  • Attacked British settlements

    • British colonist retaliated

  • Britain got angry at colonists

    • Were fighting with all American Indians

      • Did not distinguish enemies from allies

What was the proclamation of 1763?

Forbade British colonies from migrating west beyond the Appalachian mountains

What happened economically as consequence to the French and Indian War?

1. Britain Doubled National Debt

• Found themselves in a precarious economic situation

• Population growth and land conflicts used to debt

  • Cost of running colonies had increased 5x

What did Britain do to raise money from the war expenses?

New taxation and Trade Laws