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The French and Indian War: The reason we speak English
Historical Background and Causes
In 1754 the New World was about to change. After many years of wars in
Europe, and navy battles in and around the New World, the first all out war was
about to be fought there. The Spanish Empire in 1754 was very weak. Though
they still controlled a lot of territory in the New World, the monarchy was very
poor because of losing expensive wars in Europe to the British. The two most
powerful countries left were Britain and France.
The French mostly controlled what is today eastern Canada, the St.
Lawrence River, the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley.
The areas along the St. Lawrence and the Ohio River Valley were the areas with
the most furs - - a very valuable resource. The British wished to control all of
North America, especially these French lands.
Earlier in the 1700’s, the British had begun taking French and Spanish
islands in the Caribbean for their sugar crops - - a large war had been avoided,
but the French would not allow the British to take their lands in Canada. Both
sides began to build forts and ship armies from Europe to the Northeastern North
America.
War!
In 1754 both sides wanted to take firm control of the land west of the
Appalachian Mountains. A young officer in the British army named George
Washington(yes, him) had a small army and started the first battle of the war by
attacking a small group of French soldiers in what is today western Pennsylvania.
Both sides began to recruit Native Americans to join them. At first many
joined the French, because the French had been much nicer to them over the
years. Some French trappers even married Native American women and lived
among them. The British had not been too bad to the Native Americans, but
they had never treated them as equals.
For the first two years of the war, the French defeated the British armies,
but did not gain any new territory. In 1756, the British captured control of Lake
Ontario from the French and won more and more victories. The British also won
control of the upper Ohio River Valley, and lands along the Atlantic Ocean - ALSO, they convinced the Native Americans that had been helping the French
to join them because they were winning, and the Native Americans switched
sides.
By 1760 the British had won control of the French fort cities of Montreal
and Quebec, leaving the French no option but to surrender. By 1763 the war
was over.
Effects of the War
The largest effect of the war was Britain’s new power in North America.
Great Britain now controlled all of North America east of the Mississippi River,
and all of New France. The English allowed the French to live in North America,
but they were separated from the English settlers.
1.) Why is the title of this article “The reason we speak English”?
2.) Since much of the fighting was in the wilderness, having Native American
friends became important for both sides. Why did the Native Americans switch
sides?
3.) What were the economic causes of the war?