Ducksters

Colonial America

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War was a major war fought in the American Colonies between 1754 and 1763. The British gained significant territory in North America as a result of the war.

The French meet with Indian leaders

by Emile Louis Vernier

Who fought in the French and Indian War? From the name of the war, you would probably guess that the French fought the Indians during the French and Indian War. Actually, the main enemies in the war were the French and the British. Both sides had American Indian allies. The French allied with several tribes including the Shawnee, Lenape, Ojibwa, Ottawa, and the Algonquin peoples. The British allied with the Iroquois, Catawba, and the Cherokee (for a time).

How is it different from the Seven Years War? The French and Indian war is considered part of the Seven Years War. The Seven Years War was fought throughout much of the world. The portion of the Seven Years War that was fought in North America is called the French and Indian War.

Where was it fought? The war was fought mostly in the northeast along the border between the British colonies and the French Colonies of New France.

Leading up to the War As the American colonies began to expand to the west, they came into conflict with the French. The first real conflict began when the French moved into the Ohio country and built Fort Duquesne on the Ohio River (where the city of Pittsburgh is today). It was over the construction of this fort that the first battle of the war, the Battle of Jumonville Glen, took place on May 28, 1754.

Major Battles and Events

• General Braddock at Fort Duquesne (1755) - British General Braddock led 1500 men to take Fort Duquesne. They were ambushed and soundly defeated by French and Indian soldiers.

• Battle of Fort Oswego (1756) - The French captured the British Fort Oswego and took 1,700 prisoners captive.

• Massacre at Fort William Henry (1757) - The French took Fort William Henry. Many British soldiers were massacred as France's Indian allies violated the terms of the British surrender and killed around 150 British soldiers.

• Battle of Quebec (1759) - The British claimed a decisive victory over the French and occupied Quebec City.

• Jeffery Amherst

• by Joshua Reynolds

• Fall of Montreal (1760) - The city of Montreal falls to the British led by Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst. The fighting is nearly over in the American colonies.

End of the War and Results The French and Indian War ended on February 10, 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. France was forced to give up all of its North American territory. Britain gained all of the land east of the Mississippi River and Spain gained the land west of the Mississippi.

Consequences The French and Indian War had some major consequences on the future of the British colonies in America.

The war was expensive for the British government to fight. In order to pay for it, they issued taxes on the colonies. The British government considered this fair as they were protecting the interests of the colonies. The colonies, however, felt that they should not be taxed unless they had representation in the British government.

Also, this war was the first time that the colonies united together to fight a common enemy. They built up colonial militias and gained confidence in their fighting abilities. In the end, the events of the French and Indian War played a major role leading up to the American Revolution.

Interesting Facts about the French and Indian War

• Daniel Boone was a supply-wagon driver during the French and Indian War.

• George Washington served as a colonel in the provincial militia during the war. He was the leader at the first battle of the war, the Battle of Jumonville Glen.

• The British captured Havana, Cuba from Spain in 1762 near the end of the war. They later exchanged Havana for Florida as part of the peace treaty.

• The French were greatly outnumbered by the British and had to rely heavily on American Indian soldiers and allies.

American Revolution

The American Revolution was a time when the British colonists in America rebelled against the rule of Great Britain. There were many battles fought and the colonies gained their freedom and became the independent country of the United States. The American Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783.

13 Colonies Before the American Revolution, there were several British Colonies in the Americas. Not all of them participated in the revolution. There were 13 colonies which ended up rebelling. These were Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island.

Representation One of the main reasons that the colonists rebelled against Great Britain is that they felt they were not represented in the British government. The British government was making new laws and taxes on the colonies, but the colonies had no say. They wanted to have some say in the British government if they were going to pay high taxes and have to live by British law.

War War didn't happen right away. First there were protests and arguments. Then some small skirmishes between the colonists and the local British army. Things just got worse and worse over the course of years until the colonies and Great Britain were at war.

Independence Each colony had its own local government. In 1774 they each elected officials to represent them at the First Continental Congress. This was the first effort of the colonies to unite and make a single government. In 1776 the Second Continental Congress declared the independence of the United States from Great Britain.

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

New Government The new government of the United States was different than the government of the colonist's homeland, Great Britain. They decided that they didn't want to be ruled by a king anymore. They wanted a government that was ruled by the people. The new government would be a democratic government with leaders elected by the people and balances of power to make sure that no one could become king.

Fun Facts about the American Revolution

• The first shot fired in the American Revolution was on April 19, 1775 and is called the "shot heard round the world".

• John Adams was the defense attorney for the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. He would later become a great leader in the Revolution and the 2nd president of the United States.

• George Washington, the first President, only attended school until he was 14 years old. He became Commander of the Virginia Militia when he was just 23.

• The Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill.

• Although the war was between the colonies and Great Britain, other countries got involved as well. The French were a major ally to the colonies and there were French, German, and Spanish soldiers who fought in the war.