Download Colonial Conflict French English Indians 1

Day 1
Frenchmen and Indians
Directions: Read pages 21-23 to complete the table below:
Colonial Conflict
French
English
Indians
1. How did cultural misunderstandings lead to conflict between the French, English and Indians?
2. Using the information above, who should the Native Americans side with? Explain.
3. Was George Washington a hero in the French and Indian War? Explain.
Day 2
Directions: Read the informational article on the French and Indian War below. After reading,
rephrase each paragraph into a loaded statement from either the French, English or Native
American perspective. (Mr. Winchell/Ms. Kelly will assign your perspective)
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
In the 1750's, the British and French were bickering over territory in the Ohio Valley. The
French had conducted fur trade with the native Iroquois in the Valley for years, while the British
had recently gained rights from the Iroquois to build settlements.
In 1754, British Governor Robert Dinwiddie of colonial Virginia sent a small militia under
the command of Major George Washington to defend their claim to the land. The Battle of Fort
Necessity broke out when French soldiers and their Indian allies attacked Washington and
forced him to surrender. This incident began the French and Indian War.
British troops came to America to help the colonial forces fight the war. British War
policies angered the colonists. They hated having to house and fed British soldiers. Colonial
officers resented Royal officers who were given higher ranking. And colonials also resented
paying more taxes to support the war.
Worst of all, the British army refused to change their war tactics. They insisted on
marching in long lines. Soldiers in this formation became easy targets for the French and Indian
soldiers who attacked from the cover of the wilderness.
In 1755, the British learned the danger of European tactics. British Major General
Edward Braddock and his troops were marching towards the French Fort Duquesne when
French and Native forces ambushed them. Braddock refused to break formation, or allow his
soldiers to counterattack. Braddock was killed and two-thirds of his command were killed or
wounded in the melee.
Colonial soldiers understood the need for new tactics in American terrain. Roger's
Rangers, a famous special force in the Colonial Army used guerilla tactics to launch several
surprise attacks on French and Native forces.
Despite participation of groups like Roger's Rangers, the war went badly for the British
in the beginning. The British launched unsuccessful attacks against the French at Fort Carillon
(now Ticonderoga) and Crown Point. In 1756, the French commander, the Marquis de
Montcalm, captured Fort William Henry from the British. France's Native allies then massacred
the defeated British troops as they retreated towards Albany.
French victories brought them closer to controlling the Lake Champlain/Hudson River
waterway. If they could command this waterway, they could cut New England off from the other
colonies and disable the British.
British war effort changed when William Pitt the Elder was made Prime Minister of
Britain in 1757. He stopped forcing colonists to provide for the British soldiers and sent more
soldiers. He also appointed two new commanders, James Wolfe and Jeffrey Amherst.
These new policies turned the tide of war. First, the British captured Louisbourg, a fort
that controlled the mouth of the St. Lawrence. Then Amherst captured both Fort Carillon and
Crown Point Britain to regain control of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain.
In 1760, General Wolfe attacked the main French stronghold, Quebec City. Although
both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed during the battle, Britain captured the city. Victory was
sealed when the Governor de Vaudrevil of Montreal surrendered his town on September 8.
The Treaty of Paris ended the war in 1763. Because they lost the war, France had to give
up all of its land east of the Mississippi River to Britain. But Britain paid a high price for its
victory. They began increased the colonists' taxes to pay for their enormous war debt. Twelve
years later, the colonists revolted against Britain's taxation and won their independence.
Day 3/4:
Directions: Using the article from Day 2 and your loaded statements (and information from Day 1), you
will create a newscast depicting the events of the French & Indian War. You must:



Create a script that summarizes the events of the French/Indian War
Create an interview with a person from each perspective (English, French, and Native American)
Predict how the war will impact the colonists
An “A” newscast will include: