Notes on Albany Congress and the Seven Years' War

Albany Congress and the Seven Years' War

The Albany Congress

  • The "Join or Die" snake cartoon was created by Franklin to promote unity among the colonies.
  • The Albany Congress was convened to discuss siding with the British against the French and the natives.
  • Without British support, the colonies feared being wiped out by the French and natives.
  • Only seven colonies attended the Congress.
  • Colonists were hesitant to fight the war alongside the British.
  • Ben Franklin's motive was to support the British in exchange for more autonomy and sovereignty for the colonies.
  • The British were unlikely to grant the colonists more sovereignty.
  • The Albany Congress didn't achieve much in terms of colonial unity at the time.
  • The snake cartoon was later used to rally support during the American Revolution.

George Washington's Early Military Involvement

  • George Washington was under British control at the start of the war.
  • He was sent to Virginia to claim land where the British and French clashed.
  • Washington initially won a battle but was later surrounded by French troops.
  • The French allowed him to retreat, which altered the course of history.

The Seven Years' War

  • The Seven Years' War started on American soil and then spread to Europe.
  • It's considered by some as the First World War due to its global scale.
  • The colonists offered to support the British in exchange for more sovereignty.

Treaty of Paris

  • The Treaty of Paris resulted in the French being ousted from North America.
  • The French later regained control of the Louisiana territory.
  • Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States under Thomas Jefferson.
  • Jefferson was conflicted due to his strict interpretation of the Constitution.
  • The removal of the French threat led to increased tensions between the British and the Colonists.

Proclamation Line

  • The British established a Proclamation Line to prevent colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
  • The goal was to avoid conflicts with the natives.
  • Colonists largely ignored the Proclamation Line and continued to move west.

Territorial Changes

  • The British gained significant land in North America as a result of the war.
  • Spain eventually lost control of its North American territories.
  • Currently, we (the class) are sitting in former Spanish territory, west of the Mississippi.

Pontiac's Rebellion

  • Pontiac attempted to unite native tribes to resist colonial expansion.
  • There's a debate on whether the British intentionally gave natives blankets infected with smallpox.
  • Regardless, smallpox decimated native populations.
  • Pontiac's rebellion ultimately failed, and the Proclamation Line was established.