French Indian War

The French and Indian War

The French and Indian war raged from 1754 to 1763. Its roots began long before the first shot was fired, about 100 years before between the French and the English. The French and Indian War was not fought between the French and the Indians, but the two allied with the Canadians against the English. It was the catalyst for the Seven Years War, from 1756-1763, which was brought over into Europe, the Carnatic Wars, and it eventually lead to the American Revolution.

By the late 1600’s to the beginning of the 1700’s, the colonization of the America’s by the English had been reaping great rewards. The English controlled much of the eastern seaboard, and were highly interested into further expansionism. The English often moved into the French territory and claimed the land as theirs. The French had established a vast area from Louisiana to the south to Canada to the north bordering the Spaniards to the left and the English to the right. The French had small frontier villages with ample land for the English to take.

The French used their land for the same purposes the English used theirs, for trade and manifest destiny. However the French were frontier trappers who moved and settled in small numbers and not farmers, as the English were. Because of this the French made a good repor with the Indians, which seemed to be all around and the neighboring frontiersmen in Canada to the north. It was almost customary for a Frenchman to wed an Indian woman to strengthen trade agreements and the use of land as well as an interpreter/guide.

As the English colonizers began to expand into and around the French territory much quarreling arose and disputes over whose land it really was just added to the fire. The French started to build forts up and down their territory’s boarder. The French along with the Indians lead attacks against the English until they moved out of their territory. They French established a fort called Fort Le Boeuf just down river from Fort Duquesne next to lake Erie; this was already claimed as English territory. England sent Major George Washington to the region of Fort Duquesne to thwart the French from further expansion and to expel the from the area. While on a patrol for the French, Major Washington came upon a small group of Frenchmen, which he took for scouts. Major Washington ordere...

... middle of paper ...

...d Indian War, almost. The treaty of Senecas and the Treaty of Paris still had to be implemented. The treaty of Senecas surrendered the hostages between the English and the Indians as well as make peace in the Delaware valley. The Proclamation Act of 1763 also heeded any more movement into the Appalachian Mountains keeping settlers from claiming Indian territory. The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763 ending the war officially, even though an armistous was called nearly a year before. In the end “of all of her former North American possessions France was allowed to retain only the two little fishing stations of St. Pierre and Miquelon . Elsewhere throughout all of the great continent the fleurs-de-lis of France gave way to the Union Jack of Great Britain, and Canada became absorbed into the growing British Empire.” (Hamilton, pg 306, 1962).

Works Cited

1. (http://www.digitalhistory.org/William_henry.html)

2. (http://www.digitalhistory.org/1760.html)

3. Hamilton, Edwards P. “The French and Indian Wars.” Doubleday & Company, Inc.,

Garden City, New York, 1962.

4. Nash, Jeffrey, Howe, Frederick, Davis, Winkler. “The American People.” Vol. 1, 4th Ed.

148-149.