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Questioning the Text- The French and Indian War Document Packet
Source #1
The French and Indian War was a seven-year war between England and the
American colonies, against the French and some of the Indians in North
America. When the war ended, France was no longer in control of Canada.
The Indians that had been threatening the American colonists were defeated.
This war had become a world war. Great Britain spent a great deal of money
fighting the war and colonists fully participated in this war. Both these facts
were to have a profound effect on the future of the colonies.
The French and Indian War was a continuation of a series of wars that had
taken place between the French and British in North America. The French
controlled the Mississippi River and claimed the Ohio River Valley as well.
They began building forts in the area. The British started to build their own
forts.
The French expanded into areas that the British had claimed. In 1754, Major
George Washington was sent by Virginia's governor to evict the French from
Fort Duquesne. Washington came upon a French scouting party and ordered
his men to open fire. Washington's men killed 12 Frenchmen and wounded
22. The war was on.
During the first two years of the war the French and their Indian allies
defeated the British numerous times. The period began poorly for the British
and their colonial soldiers, when a British force led by British General
Braddock tried to capture Fort Duquesne. A smaller French and Indian force
succeeded in defeating the British force and General Braddock was defeated.
The tide of the war changed in 1756 when William Pitt became the British
Secretary of State. The British applied more resources into the battle in
North America and slowly began to capture French forts. In 1759, the British
won the Battle of The Plains of Abraham, which allowed them to occupy
Quebec. The next year they captured Montreal, and thus completed the
capture of Canada, effectively ending the war in North America.
The War officially came to an end on February 10, 1763, with the signing of
the Treaty of Paris. France officially ceded all of its holdings in North
America, west of the Mississippi; while regaining the Islands of Guadeloupe
and Martinique. The most long lasting effect of the war was not negotiated
between the parties? Rather it was the effect the war had on the American
colonies. The cost of the war and of controlling the newly acquired territories
was high. The British looked to the colonies to help pay those costs. That
began the long spiral of events that led to the Revolution.
http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/French.html
Questioning the Text- The French and Indian War Document Packet
Source #2
The king of England had heard how the French were building forts along the
Ohio and how they were sending their traders to the Great Lakes and to the
valley of the Mississippi.
"If we allow them to go on in this way, they will soon take all that vast
western country away from us," he said.
And so, the very next winter, he sent over an army under General Edward
Braddock to drive the French out of that part of America and at the same
time teach their Indian friends a lesson.
It was in February, 1755, when General Braddock and his troops went into
camp at Alexandria in Virginia. As Alexandria was only a few miles from
Mount Vernon, Washington rode over to see the fine array and become
acquainted with the officers.
When General Braddock heard that this was the young man who had
ventured so boldly into the Ohio Country, he offered him a place on his staff.
This was very pleasing to Washington, for there was nothing more attractive
to him than soldiering.
It was several weeks before the army was ready to start: and then it moved
so slowly that it did not reach the Monongahela until July. The soldiers in
their fine uniforms made a splendid appearance as they marched in regular
order across the country.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the wisest men in America, had told General
Braddock that his greatest danger would be from unseen foes hidden among
the underbrush and trees.
"They may be dangerous to your backwoodsmen," said Braddock - "but to the
trained soldiers of the king they can give no trouble at all."
But scarcely had the army crossed the Monongahela when it was fired upon
by unseen enemies. The woods rang with the cries of savage men. The
soldiers knew not how to return the fire. They were shot down in their tracks
like animals in a pen.
"Let the men take to the shelter of the trees!" was Washington's advice.
But Braddock would not listen to it. They must keep in order and fight as
they had been trained to fight.
Questioning the Text- The French and Indian War Document Packet
Washington rode hither and thither trying his best to save the day. Two
horses were shot under him - four bullets passed through his coat - and still
he was unhurt. The Indians thought that he bore a charmed life, for none of
them could hit him.
It was a dreadful affair--more like a slaughter than a battle. Seven hundred
of Braddock's fine soldiers, and more than half of his officers, were killed or
wounded. And all this havoc was made by two hundred Frenchmen and about
six hundred Indians hidden among the trees.
At last Braddock gave the order to retreat. It soon became a wild flight rather
than a retreat - and yet, had it not been for Washington, it would have been
much worse.
The General himself had been fatally wounded. There was no one but
Washington who could restore courage to the frightened men, and lead them
safely from the place of defeat. Four days after the battle General Braddock
died, and the remnant of the army being now led by a Colonel Dunbar,
hurried back to the eastern settlements.
Of all the men who took part in that unfortunate expedition against the
French, there was only one who gained any renown there from, and that one
was Colonel George Washington. He went back to Mount Vernon, wishing
never to be sent to the Ohio Country again.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/georgewashington/biography/the-french-and-indian-war.html
Source #3
"We continue our March from Fort Cumberland to Frazier's (which is within
7 miles of Duquesne) without meeting any extraordinary event, having only a
straggler or two picked up by the French Indians. When we came to this
place, we were attacked (very unexpectedly) by about three hundred French
and Indians. Our numbers consisted of about thirteen hundred well armed
men, chiefly Regulars, who were immediately struck with such an
inconceivable panick, that nothing but confusion and disobedience of orders
prevailed among them. The officers, in general, behaved with incomparable
bravery, for which they greatly suffered, there being near 600 killed and
wounded--a large proportion, out of the number we had! The Virginia
companies behaved like men and died like soldiers; for I believe out of three
companies that were on the ground that day scarce thirty were left alive.
Capt. Payroney and all his officers, down to a corporal, were killed; Capt.
Questioning the Text- The French and Indian War Document Packet
Polson had almost as hard a fate, for only one of his escaped. In short, the
dastardly behaviour of the Regular troops (so-called) exposed those who were
inclined to do their duty to almost certain death; and, at length, in spite of
every effort to the contrary, broke and ran as sheep before hounds, leaving
the artillery, ammunition, provisions, baggage, and in short, everything a
prey to the enemy. And when we endeavoured to rally them, in hopes of
regaining the ground and what we had left upon it, it was with as little
success as if we had attempted to have stopped the wild bears of the
mountains, or rivulets with our feet; for they would break by, in despite of
every effort that could be made to prevent it."
http://www.ushistory.org/Valleyforge/washington/george1.html