French and Indian War

Massacre of the Abenaki Indians at St. Francis by Rogers' Rangers,

October 1759. Rogers' Raid on St. Francis, during the French and
Indian War, was authorized by Gen. Jeffrey Amherst in retaliation
for Abenaki raids on English colonial settlements.
 Essential Questions
• How the colonists desire for goods and land
affect American Indians?

• What was the source of conflict between the

British and the French?
 Background information
• England and France had been fighting for colonial control of
the Americas since the 1600s.

• Both want access to trade opportunities and land for

expanding settlement

• Religious tensions exist:

– FRANCE=Catholic
– ENGLAND=Protestant
 Initial Conflicts
• King William’s War 1689-1697
• Queen Ann’s War 1701-1713
• King George’s War 1744-1748

• NEITHER SIDE ACHIEVES A REAL VICTORY

 What they want:
• FRANCE •ENGLAND:
– Corridor of trade Settlement and
to connect economic control
Mississippi and over the Ohio River
Louisiana with Valley
outposts in Great
Lakes
– To continue to
build forts in ORV
 The Spark: The Ohio River Valley
• France had forts and trading
posts through the mid-
section of North America

• England wants to Expand

• England gets Iroquois league

to permit settlement

• Military conflict begins when

VA governor demands the
French leave their forts
(protect his speculators)
 Tricky Alliances
• English encourage Native Americans to attack
the French
• Most northern tribes will side with the French
 Battles and Tensions Increase
• British and colonists are
out maneuvered by
French

• Tension increases
between colonists and
redcoats

– British were angry that

colonists had colonial
trading with Canada.
Washington at 22
Braddock Mowed DOWN!
 New British Leadership
• New leadership takes over in
1757: William Pitt
• Increased troops and improved
relations ensure British Victory
by 1760
• New alliances with Native
Americans
 Colonial Unification
• Ben Franklin calls for The Albany Plan of Union
– Union of colonies that would band together to
fight France
– Modeled after Iroquois Leagues
– Plan rejected by Colonial Governments and the
crown
Plan for Victory
Seige
 Victory!
• Drastically changes Britain’s holdings in
America and removed the French threat to
colonial settlement

• England=annoyed by war’s cost

• To tighten control over colonies, Britain will

impose a series of strict economic policies.