3.2 The Seven Years' War

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Explain the causes and effects of the Seven Years’ War (also known as the French and Indian war).

INTRODUCTION

• Historic European rivalries had been brought to the Americas (Britian, France, Spain)

  • Basis for conflict was found in Europe

    - Disputes between European countries in their colonies served to intensify their differences.

    - Britian triumphed in a series of wars —→ the eventual rebellion and loss of their 13 colonies in America.

EMPIRES AT WAR, 1689-1763

• Series of wars broke out (involved Britian, France, Spain, Natives, and Other European countries)

  • Stakes for power, control of colonies, and trade were high

    - Sugar-producing islands in the Carribean sea and fur trading networks were valuable posessions—→

    - Battles broke out across Europe, India, and North America.

THE FIRST THREE WARS

• The first three wars occured between 1689 and 1748 (were named after the British monarch the occured under)

  • King William’s War (1689-1697)

    -British Launced unsuccessful missions to capture Quebec from France.

    - American Indians sided with French and burned British frontier settlements.

  • Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713)

    - British gained Nova Scotia from France and trading rights from Spanish America.

  • King George’s War (1744-1748)

    • Georgia’s colonial army, led by James Oglethorpe, repulsed Spanish attacks and New Englanders captured Louisburg (major French fortress that controlled access to st. Lawrence River)

      - Britain returned Louisburg to French in echanged for political and economic gains in India—→ Furious New Englanders (thought their hard work in capturing the fortress was wasted).

THE DECISIVE CONFLICT

• European powers saw little value in commiting regular troops in America (relied on amature colonist for protection)

  • When the 4th/decisive war began, conditions on how Britian viewed America changed

    • Great Britian and France recognized the values of colonies for their raw materials.

      • French Colonies has a small population, but worked with Natives to carry out valuable fur trade

      • British colonies had a bigger population, and produced: grain, fish, tobacco, lumber, and other products that fuled British industry.

    • Final conflict is known as the 7 Years’ War/ French and Indian War.

BEGINNING OF WAR

• French built a chain of forts in the Ohio River Valley (provoked British and halted westward growth of British colonies)

  • Virginia governer sent a small militia led by George Washington to stop French from winning control over territory

    - Washinton won small victory, but eventually surrendered to superior French and Indian forces

    - This encounter marked final war for empire.

  • Another expedition from Virginia, led by General Edward Braddock, ended in disastrous defear

    -2,000 British regulars and colonial troops were routed by smaller French and Native troops.

    - Algonquin allies of French ravaged the frontier of western Pennslyvania to North Carolina

    - French also repulsed a British invasion of French Canada.

THE ALBANY PLAN OF UNION

• Need for coordinating colonial defense —→ British gov called for colony representatives to meet at Alabany, New York (1754)

  • Delegates from 7 colonies adoped an agreement called the Albany Plan of Union (developed by Benjamin Franklin)

    - Provided an intercolonial government and system for recruiting troops and collecting taxes from various colonies for common defense.

    - Was not passed due to colonies concerned about preserving taxation powers

    - Alabany congress set precedent for later, more revolutionary, congresses in the 1770’s

BRITISH VICTORY

• British prime minister concenrated gov’s militray strategy on conquering Canda

  • Strategy was accomplished by the retaking of Louisburg (1758), surrender of Quebec to James Wolfe (1759), and taking of Montreal (1760)

• British victories —→ European powers negotiating peace treaty (Peace of Paris)

  • Great Britain aquired both French, Canada, and Spanish Florida

    - In compensation for Spain’s loss, France ceded to Spain Lousiana (huge territory west of Mississipi River)

    - British extended their control of North America, and French power on the continent virtually ended

IMMEDITATE EFFECTS OF THE WAR

• Britain’s victory in the 7 Years’ War was a turning point in militray and diplomatic conflict for control of North America among European countries, colonies, and Natives.

  • Gave Britian unchallenged supremacy among European in North America

  • Challenged autonomy of many American Indians

  • Established British as dominant naval power in the world

  • American colonies no longer faced the threat of attacks from French, Spanish, or American Indians.

  • Change in how colonies and colonist viewed each other***

THE BRITISH VIEW OF THE WAR

• British had a low opinion on colonial military abilities (thought they were poorly trained and disorderly).

• Noted that some colonies refused to contribute to either troops or money in the war effort.

• Convinced that colonist were unable and unwilling to defend the new frontiers of an expanded British empire.

THE COLONIAL VIEW OF THE WAR

• Colonist were proud of their record in all four wars, and developed confidence that they could successfully provide for their own defense.

• They were not impressed by British troops or leaderships (their methods of warfare were badly suited to the geography of eastern America).

REORGANIZATION OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

• More serious than resentful feelings caused by the war experience was the British gov’s shift in colonial policies.

  • Britian had excercised little direct control over colonies

    - earlier policy of salutary neglect was abandonded

  • British adopted more forceful policies for taking control of their expanded territory.

    - Britian felt the need to maintain large British military force to guard it’s American frontiers.

    - King George III and Parliament wanted American colonies to bear the cost of maintaining the British empires, without having to increase taxes in Britian

    - Among British landownders, pressure was building to reduce heavy taxes (that were levied to pay for colonial wars)

PONTIAC’S REBELLION

• Chief Pontiac led an attack against colonial settlements on the western frontier (first major test of new British imperial policy).

  • American Indians were angered by the growing westward movement of European settlers, and British refusal to offer gifts as the French had done.

    - Pontiac’s alliance with Natives from the Ohio River Valley destroyed forts and settlements from New York to Virginia.

    - British sent regular troops instead of colonial troops to stop uprising.

PROCLAMATION OF 1763

• British government issued Proclamation of 1763 in an effort to stabalize western frontier

  • Proclamation prevented colonist from settling west of Appalachian Mountains

    - British hoped that limiting settlement would prevent future warfare between colonist and Natives—→ angry and defiant colonist (wanted to reap benefits of access to new land from the 7 Years’ War)

    - Colonist ignored the proclamation, defying the British and continuted to move westward past the boundary line.

GROWING BRITISH-COLONIAL TENSIONS

• Divergent views on war and changes of British imperial polices provided context conflict between Britian and North American colonies

  • Become more intense as debates on taxation and representation arise.