Overview:Also known as the Seven Years’ War, this New World conflict marked another chapter in the long imperial struggle between Britain and France. When France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought repeated conflict with the claims of the British colonies, a series of battles led to the official British declaration of war in 1756. Boosted by the financing of future Prime Minister William Pitt, the British turned the tide with victories at Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac and the French-Canadian stronghold of Quebec. At the 1763 peace conference, the British received the territories of Canada from France and Florida from Spain, opening the Mississippi Valley to westward expansion.
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PBS Timeline of Events Throughout the WarRead the timeline of important events highlighted in the PBS documentary, "The War That Made America" to learn about the French and Indian War
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A Young George Washington's JournalCheck out this primary source that has been uploaded to a user-friendly digital copy, and see what the future president had to say about his role in the war.
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History Channel
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The Join or Die SnakeThe “JOIN, or DIE” snake, the work of Gazette printer Benjamin Franklin,27 quickly appeared in other newspapers. The New-York Mercury produced its own woodcut of the disjointed snake to run with the call for a united British America on May 13. Boston Gazette printer Samuel Kneeland recreated the snake and added the words, “Unite and Conquer,” coming from the snake’s mouth.28 Other papers described the snake and its calls for unity but did not create a woodcut.29
http://www.earlyamerica.com/early-america-review/volume-2/how-newspapers-covered-the-french-and-indian-war/ |
What happened during the French and Indian War?Watch this EdPuzzle on the lead up to the conflict between the French and the English, and what actually took place during this Seven-Years War. We will examine the value of colonial ties with Native Americans, and how this played a pivotal role in the outcome of the war. How does this war directly lead to the American Revolution? |
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Proclamation of 1763
After the conclusion of the French and Indian War in America, the British Empire began to tighten control over its rather autonomous colonies. This royal proclamation, which closed down colonial expansion westward, was the first measure to affect all thirteen colonies. In response to a revolt of Native Americans led by Pontiac, an Ottawa chief, King George III declared all lands west of the Appalachian Divide off-limits to colonial settlers. The edict forbade private citizens and colonial governments alike to buy land from or make any agreements with natives; the empire would conduct all official relations. Furthermore, only licensed traders would be allowed to travel west or deal with Indians. Theoretically protecting colonists from Indian rampages, the measure was also intended to shield Native Americans from increasingly frequent attacks by white settlers. Although the proclamation was introduced as a temporary measure, its economic benefits for Britain prompted ministers to keep it until the eve of the Revolution. A desire for good farmland caused many colonists to defy the proclamation; others merely resented the royal restrictions on trade and migration."
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