The French & Indian War

1754-1763The French & Indian WarPre-War Americas (1754)

Causes of the WarAnglo-French rivalry leading to conflict with the colonies The rivalry in North America between England and France led to the French and Indian War, in which the French were driven out of Canada and their territories west of the Appalachian Mountains. Ongoing rivalry between France & Britain (England) . They were constantly at war with each other.British claimed part of the upper Ohio River Valley.English Settlers were pushing farther West.Fighting breaks out in Europe, where the war is called the Seven Years War.

The Fighting of the WarEarly British DefeatsGeorge Washington is forced to surrender at Fort Necessity and has to return to Virginia in disgrace.The British are used to fighting in strait lines and the French and Indians used guerilla fighting.At a Battle near Fort Duquesne, General Braddock is killed. However, George Washington and Daniel Boone survive.

The British Win the WarIn 1757, William Pitt becomes Englands New Prime Minister and he seeks a new approach to the war and he starts to borrow large sums of money. The English win the Battle of Louisburg and capture Fort Duquesne and Fort William Henry.ALBANY PLAN OF UNION- Goal: To keep the Iroquois allied with the BritishEarly in 1754, delegates in Albany to try to gain the help of the Iroquois Indians.They also wanted to unify the war effort among the colonies.Ben Franklin suggests a meeting of Delegates from each Colony elected by colonial legislatures. This would be headed up by a president appointed by the royal governors.The idea is approved by the delegates, by is rejected by the Parliament.HOWEVER, this is important because it provides a model for later government in the US.

The End of the WarThe Iroquois join the side of the British.General James Wolfe daringly captures the City of Quebec in 1759. He had secretly moved his troops up a cliff in the middle of the night and after several days of fighting, the city surrendered. Shortly after the fall of Quebec; Montreal, Detroit, and other French forts fall.THE TREATY OF PARIS (1763) officially ends the French and Indian War. In this agreement, France gives its claim to Canada and territories east of the Mississippi to the British.

Results from the French & Indian WarAs a result of the war, England took several actions that angered the American colonies and led to the American Revolution. These included: This leads to tensions between the English and the colonists. The English feel that Colonists did not provide enough support for the war and the Colonists feel like the British are not treating them with respect & equality.The Colonists lose respect for Englands military power. They saw how easily the British could be defeated.With the French out of the way, the Colonists were free to move into the Ohio River Valley.Colonists like George Washington gain very valuable Battlefield experience.

Changing British PolicyAfter the French and Indian War settlers start moving west.Native Americans complain to the British that settlers are stealing their land, however the British do trade (fur) with them.In response, Native Americans band together and start attacking English forts and settlements. Several thousand colonists are either killed or forced back east. This uprising is known as Pontiacs REBELLION.England responds by issuing the PROCLAMATION OF 1763. This told settlers that they couldnt settle west of the Appalachian Mts.. England also signs several peace treaties (1764-1766) that ends the violence.HOWEVER, settlers still continue to push WEST.

New political ideas about the relationship between people and their government helped to justify the Declaration of Independence.

The revolutionary generation formulated the political philosophy and laid the institutional foundations for the system of government under which we live.

The American Revolution was inspired by ideas concerning natural rights and political authority, and its successful completion affected people and governments throughout the world for many generations. Political Philosophers Who Inspired the American RevolutionThe ideas of John LockeThe period known as the Enlightenment in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries saw the development of new ideas about the rights of people and their relationship to their rulers. John Locke was an Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas, more than any others, influenced the American belief in self-government. Locke wrote that: All people are free, equal, and have natural rights of life, liberty, and property that rulers cannot take away. All original power resides in the people, and they consent to enter into a social contract among themselves to form a government to protect their rights. In return, the people promise to obey the laws and rules established by their government, establishing a system of ordered liberty. Governments powers are limited to those the people have consented to give to it. Whenever government becomes a threat to the peoples natural rights, it breaks the social contract and the people have the right to alter or overthrow it.Thomas Paine and CommonThomas Paine was an English immigrant to America who produced a pamphlet known as Common Sense that challenged the rule of the American colonies by the King of England. Common Sense was read and acclaimed by many American colonists during the mid-1700s and contributed to a growing sentiment for independence from England.

The Declaration of IndependenceThe eventual draft of the Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, reflected the ideas of Locke and Paine: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new governmentJefferson then went on to detail many of the grievances against the king that Paine had earlier described in Common Sense.

Key Ideas in the Declaration of IndependenceThe ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence contradicted the realities of slavery and the undemocratic nature of political participation in the early decades of the new republic.The key principles of the Declaration of Independence increased political, social, and economic participation in the American experience over a period of time.

rights to women and other groups (ending Femme Couvert)- women are no longer property of Economic participation their husbandsPolitical participation (equality) Extending the franchise (voting) Upholding due process of law Providing free public education Social participation (liberty) Abolishing slavery Extending civil rights (pursuit of happiness) Regulating the free enterprise system (govt regulation of the economy) Promoting economic opportunity (helping businesses) Protecting property rights

Two Types of Representation

Virtual Representation: colonists do not get to choose their representatives in Parliament who represent them.People in England do.Direct Representation:colonists elect other colonists to represent them in their own colonial legislatures.This is just like in England.King

Parliament

People

Colonists

Colonists

Colonial Legislatures

Royal GovernorBritains Financial ProblemsThe ideas of the Enlightenment and the perceived unfairness of British policies provoked debate and resistance by the American colonists. During this time period, the British people are the most heavily taxed people in the world.The costs of maintaining its large empire was great.The French & Indian War had also cost England a great deal of money.George Greenville, the New Prime Minister of England, feels that the colonists should help pay for costs of their government and defense in order to help lessen the tax burden on the British people.Thus, Britain will start looking for more ways to raise money from the Colonists.

Causes of the American Revolution

Tax on all imported sugar & molasses

Increased smuggling; colonists complain about virtual represent. (not voting for taxes)

Tax on all paper products

Boycotts,protest, tarring & feathering, mob violence= tax repealedLargest & most active group of protesters against British taxesLed most protests, wrote angry letters & attacked tax collectors, Boston Massacre & Tea Party

Import tax on all tea, glass & cloth

Boycotts, protests, tarring & feathering of tax collectors, Boston Massacre

Colonists were angry about British soldiers enforcing taxes (Townshend Duties)

Colonists attack troops who fire into crowd5 killed= propaganda vs. British

Taxed tea; gave East India Company a monopoly to make tea cheaper

Colonists smuggled tea, boycotted & had Boston Tea Party

Britain required colonists to buy teaSons of Liberty dressed as Indians & threw tea in harbor

Britain passed Intolerable/Coercive Acts to punish colonists

Closed the Port of BostonColonists required to let troops sleep in their homes

Colonists boycott all British goodsStarted training militias 1st Continental Congress meetsColonists met in Philadelphia to determine how the colonists should protest the Intolerable Acts

Boycotted all British goodsTrained militias & stockpile weaponsAgreed to meet again in 1 year if their complaints were not fixedEvents Leading to War

Goal of the British troops: stop the rebellion before it started capture weapons hidden by Sons of Liberty & arrest them.

Result: The first battle of the Revolution! (Loss for England)

Fought by Minutemen:members of the local militia who trained to fight the British at a minutes notice.

Events Leading to War

Delegates from all 13 coloniesMet in Philadelphia to determine what action to take after the battle of Lexington & Concord

Became the 1st US government, created the Continental Army, and made George Washington the Commander

Events Leading to War

Sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III stating loyalty & asking for peace

King George rejected the petition.Colonists were still loyal to England until the rejection of the Olive Branch Petition.Divisions Among the Colonists on the Eve of the War