The Four Points Of War: The French And Indian War

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The French and Indians War (1754 to 1763) was an important series of events that helped future American Revolution leader such as George Washington gain valuable military experience that would be later used to combat the British Empire. The French and Indian War was a branch of a three part global war known was the “Seven Years War” fought between the French and English. The war in American branch determined whether the French or British could claim themselves “alpha dog in North America”. They fought for complete control of the land east of the Mississippi river in addition to securing exclusive rights to the rich Ohio Valley fur trade. Both of the countries laid claim to the Ohio Valley which subsequently lead to many land disputes between …show more content…

The British formulated their four points of attack which was designed to attack the French from four different points: British forces in Nova Scotia to attack Ft. Beausejour, British forces under (newly crowned) Colonel William Shirley to attack the French from New York to Niagara, for Edward Braddock and his regiments to capture the infamous Ft. Duquesne, and the British to attack up the Hudson River, from New York to Montreal. Despite the British being a leading world power at the time, they relied heavily on the provincial’s assistance- by 1760 the colonist comprised 40% of the overall North American British …show more content…

However, it can be argued that the Fort was under manned therefore an easy victory for the British. Despite the first point, the other three points either ended in a stalemate or an utter defeat for the British. The second and by far the most famous British point was Edward Braddock’s attempt to attack and capture Ft. Duquesne and Necessity. One of the many mishaps Braddock was his long journey to Ft. Duquesne. During this time Braddock spent an inconsiderable amount of time building this road. Subsequently, the French were given extra time to prepare themselves and their defenses. Another mistake that can be argued by Braddock was his lack of employing Indians to help fight and guide the British through the forest. When it came down to actual numbers the British forces numbered near 1,850 and the French defenders numbered 855-essential holding close to a 2:1 advantage. In spite of this numerical advantage, the French forces were able to surround the British resulting in 977 British deaths and a French victory. It is worth noting that a future American Revolution General, George Washington, was a witness to Braddock’s blunder. William Shirley’s attempt to attack Ft. Niagara but he also took a long time forging his way through the forest. With winder fast approaching, Shirley was forced to retire at Fr. Oswego. The fourth and final point was the British attacking up

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