Topic 3.2: The French and Indian War/The Seven Years' War

What time period marks the beginning of the Seven Years’ War?

The conflict began in 1754 and extended through the early 1760s, marking a major turning point in British–colonial relations.

What tension existed between the colonies and Britain before the war?

Tensions had been growing because Britain restricted colonial expansion westward into the Ohio River Valley.

Why did Great Britain prohibit westward settlement into the Ohio River Valley?

Britain feared that allowing colonists to migrate westward would cause two serious problems—violent conflict with Indigenous nations and renewed war with the French, who already claimed the area.

What was Britain’s reasoning for the restriction on westward settlement?

The British government believed expansion would provoke hostilities with Indigenous tribes and possibly spark another major conflict with France over territorial claims.

Who ignored Britain’s prohibition and moved west anyway?

Many British colonists defied the ban and migrated into the Ohio River Valley, directly challenging British authority and Indigenous territorial control.

What reaction did colonists face from Indigenous peoples when they migrated westward?

They encountered armed resistance from a powerful alliance of Indigenous groups led by the Ottawa chief Pontiac and supported by others like the Huron.

What incident sparked the start of the war?

In 1753, George Washington, then a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia, was sent to confront the French over building forts on land Britain claimed in the Ohio River Valley.

Where did Washington confront the French in 1753?

At Fort Duquesne, a French stronghold in the contested Ohio River Valley.

What happened during George Washington’s encounter at Fort Duquesne?

When the French commander ignored Washington’s warning to leave, Washington returned with his militia and attacked the French and their Indigenous allies, ultimately suffering defeat and being forced to retreat.

Why was this skirmish significant?

It marked the official beginning of the French and Indian War, the North American theater of the global Seven Years’ War.

How did the Seven Years’ War differ from earlier Anglo-French conflicts?

It was unique because it began in North America and then spread globally across Europe and other continents.

Why did the British call the Albany Congress in 1754?

To strengthen alliances with the Iroquois Confederacy and to coordinate colonial defense against French expansion.

What was Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union?

It proposed a unified council of delegates from the colonies to coordinate defense, taxation, and relations with American Indians for mutual protection.

Why did the Albany Plan of Union fail?

Colonial governments rejected it because they feared losing their independence, and Britain rejected it because it feared losing control over the colonies.

What was the outcome of the war in North America?

Despite early French victories, the British ultimately won due to their much larger colonial population and superior resources.

By what factor did British colonists outnumber the French?

British colonists outnumbered French colonists by a ratio of about 14 to 1, giving Britain a major manpower advantage.

What treaty ended the French and Indian War?

The Treaty of Paris in 1763.

How did the Treaty of Paris (1763) change the map of North America?

France lost almost all of its North American territory; Spain ceded Florida to Britain in exchange for regaining Cuba and the Philippines; France gave Louisiana west of the Mississippi to Spain; and Britain gained the Ohio River Valley.

How did colonists react to the British victory?

They were thrilled, believing that the hard-won land in the Ohio River Valley would finally be open for settlement and farming.

What was Britain’s response to colonial migration after the war?

Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763, forbidding settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid further wars with American Indians.

Why did the Proclamation of 1763 anger colonists?

Colonists felt betrayed because they had fought and sacrificed to gain access to western lands, only to be told they could not settle there.

What Indigenous uprising occurred after the war?

Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763), led by Chief Pontiac and allied tribes, attacked British forts and settlements in response to encroachment on Indigenous lands.

How did colonists respond to Pontiac’s Rebellion?

Many colonists generalized their anger toward all American Indians, attacking Indigenous groups indiscriminately.

Why was Britain reluctant to continue fighting after the war?

Because it was heavily in debt and exhausted after years of global warfare.

How much did Britain’s debt increase due to the Seven Years’ War?

Britain’s national debt doubled during the conflict.

Why did Britain see westward migration as a financial issue?

Continued migration would have required more troops and money to defend settlers and maintain peace with American Indians—expenses Britain could not afford.

What new logic did Britain use to justify taxing the colonies after the war?

Since the colonists had benefited from the victory and new territorial gains, Britain believed they should help pay the costs through taxes.

What measures did Parliament take to raise revenue from the colonies?

Parliament passed a series of new taxes and trade laws designed to make the colonies contribute more to Britain’s economy.

How did these postwar policies affect colonial attitudes?

They deeply angered the colonists, increasing resentment and creating the foundation for revolutionary opposition to British rule.

What were the major effects of the Seven Years’ War?

Britain emerged as the dominant North American power, France lost its empire on the continent, Britain’s debt skyrocketed, Indigenous resistance intensified, and colonial unity and resentment toward Britain both increased.