Objectives:

• Explain how France and Britain came to engage in a great contest for North American and how Britain won

• Explain how the contest offended Britain’s American subjects and helped begin their later rebellion

• Describe France’s North American Empire and compare it with Britain’s colonies

• Describe how North American political and military events were affected by developments on the larger European stage.

Vocabulary Terms:

1. Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer who is considered the “father of New France.” He helped to establish the city of Quebec in Acadia. 

2. Robert de LaSalle

De LaSalle was another French explorer and fur trapper who claimed the area around the Mississippi River and the Mississippi River Basin area for France. 

3. Pontiac/ Pontiac’s War 

Pontiac’s War was named for an Ottawa leader. The British were trying to gain more control over the Native population, which only antagonised them. The Delaware, Ojibwe, Miami, and other Native Americans of the Great Lakes were all involved. In 1763 they laid siege to Detroit and over ran almost all the British posts west of the Appalachians. The British retaliated and used biological warfare (smallpox) against the Natives. Pontiac died in 1769. This incident made the British realise it was crucial to have stable relations and to have strong outposts along the frontier. 

4. William Pitt

Also known as the “Great Commoner,” Pitt was exceedingly popular among the everyday people. He became a prominent leader in London in 1757, where he earned the moniker “Organiser of Victory.” He chose to pause the battles in the French West Indies which were a heavy drain on resources and instead to focus on French Canada, especially Quebec. He sent troops in 1758 against Louisburg, and chose James Wolfe to lead it. This was an excellent strategic move and helped break the French’s hold on the New World.

5. James Wolfe/Battle of Quebec

In 1759, the Battle of Quebec (a highly significant engagement for both the British and Americans) occurred. Montreal fell a year later in 1760 and the French power and control was broken. While this loss was difficult, they were allowed to keep sugar islands in the West Indies and islets in the Gulf of Lawrence, so they weren’t ousted completely. 

James Wolfe was thirty two and had an excellent attention to detail, so he was responsible for planning the attack. He sent his men at night up a badly guarded section and in the morning the groups faced off with Wolfe in charge of the British forces and the Marquis de Montcalm leading the French.

6. Antoine Cadillac

Cadillac was an explorer who encouraged people to settle in what is now Detroit, because it was a good area for farming and reasonably defensible. He would be granted governorship of Louisiana in 1711, which was quite a large area of land to be responsible for. 

7. Edward Braddock

General Braddock was in his sixties when he led troops into the French and Indian War. He was familiar with European warfare, which was different from the fighting style their opponents used. While his army of about 2000 men was familiar with fighting in the woods and the new area, he disapproved of their tactics. His style of fighting was wholly ineffective, and the significant loss inspired the French to escalate their attacks after Braddock lost his battle. George Washingon was in Braddock’s battle, and was left trying to defend the frontier. The loss of the well trained regulars to the ragtag militia would inspire soldiers in the later Revolution. 

8. Huguenots

The Huguenots were French Protestants who were extremely disliked by Catholics. However, the Edict of Nantes gave them limited religious freedom.

9. Iroquois

The Iroquois allied with the British during the French and Indian War. Unfortunately this did not help them preserve their land and autonomy. 

10. Albany Congress

In 1754 the British brought an intercolonial congress together, though only 7/13 colonies showed up. The short term goal was to be able to keep the Iroquois loyal during the French and Indian War, as they were exceedingly powerful. They would basically talk to the chiefs for a long time and then give them gifts. The long term goal was unifying the colonies, because the British wanted the colonies to support each other in the wars. Benjamin Franklin was one of the leaders, and he wrote a scheme for colonial home rule. While the delegates accepted unanimously, the colonies themselves were not ready and nothing came of it. It still is an example of an early interest in colonial independence, although colonies could not agree on the details. 

11. Edict of Nantes

The Edict of Nantes in 1598 is an early example of religious toleration, as it provided limited religious freedom to the Protestant Huguenots in France.  

12. Acadians

The French Acadians had been conquered in 1713 and were deported by the British because of British concern they would rise again. These French speaking people were deported to Louisiana in 1755, where their descendents are now called “Cajuns” and have a distinct culture. 

13. Proclamation of 1763

Issued by London to prevent more bloodshed, the Proclamation prevented settlement beyond the Appalachians. People had already been settling there, and the Proclamation was trying to stop further encroachment on and conflict with the Native tribes. This made the American colonists increasingly angry, as they wanted the land for themselves. In 1765, only two years later, over 2,000 wagons had travelled there. The frustration of the colonists over this further supported anti British rhetoric and further isolated the crown from the colonists, as they didn’t see the government considering them at all. 

14. French and Indian War

The French and Indian war, also known as the Seven Years War, was a proxy war between France and England, the fourth in a series of conflicts. George Washington helped ignite the conflict when Virginian troops under his command fired on a detachment of French troops in the Ohia River Valley, killing one of their leaders. The French retaliated by laying siege to his fort until he surrendered on July 4, 1754. The battles were fought worldwide, in America, Europe, the West Indies, the Philippines, in Africa, and on the ocean. In Europe it was Britain and Prussia (later Germany) vs. France, Spain, Austria, and Russia. Because the war was fought on multiple fronts, the French expenditure in Europe completely overtaxed their resources and limited the help they could send to the colonists. After losing the war, France relinquished much of its territory and Spain turned Florida over to the British in return for Cuba. The tribes, including the Iroquois were also significantly impacted, as they lost the ability to play the sides against each other. The British were much more brutal than the French, and the policies were deeply hostile. Winning the war was not only a huge confidence boost for the colonists but it gave the colonists common ground. The soldiers realised they had more in common than they had different and slowly the barriers preventing unity fell away. 

15. New France

New France was a French settlement in Quebec which was an excellent source of fur for the trappers. France would lose control of the area later. 

16. War of Spanish Succession

The War of Spanish Succession lasted from 1701 to 1713. It was known as Queen Anne’s War in America. Because neither France nor England considered the colonies a high priority, it was mainly British colonists vs. the French fur trappers and any Native allies they could get. Spain allied with France, and launched a few attacks from Spanish Florida into the border South Carolina settlements. The French and Spanish were completely destroyed in the war, and when peace terms were signed in 1713 at Utrecht, the British got French Acadia (now Nova Scotia (New Scotland)), Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay. After this there was a long period of peace, so Britain left the colonies in a period of salutary neglect which would help grow feelings of independence. 

17. Mercantilism

Mercantilism is a theory that the British used to justify their control over the colonies, as they believed wealth was equal to power. The colonists were viewed as tenants who were expected to supply things needed by the English and to only purchase imports from England. Several laws were passed to enforce this that only served to further anger and isolate the colonies. The laws were poorly enforced and easy to get around. Americans did benefit from the system but it also made the colonies dependent on the British, which was completely unacceptable to the colonists.