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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