The French and Indian War Essay Sample

The French and Indian war was an extremely brutal war in the 18th century. War was formally declared in 1756 as Britain and French forces were fighting for land in the New World. Despite battles mainly being fought between Great Britain and France, Spaniards attempted to aid the French valiantly but with no success. Indian allies played a key role in Britain’s victory. The war is often referred to as The Seven-Year War and seemed to be a never-ending battle for coveted land. During these seven years, there were three main components of the war, the initiation, the advancements and the challenges faced by both sides, and finally the conclusion of the war with the Treaty of Paris.

In the early 1600s, almost two centuries before the war, the French had arrived in the New World. They focused on inhabiting Quebec, Canada, and traded with Indian tribes for a century. The French grew to understand that the Indians disliked their presence in Canada and the increasing tensions made them realize their relation to Indian tribes was tenuous. Additionally, as French expansion efforts in America continued, the Native Americans’ favoritism of the English settlers became increasingly obvious. The French had gathered information that the Indians allowed English traders into their territory. (Cave 5) This act of hospitality and economic benefit for the English traders began to raise concerns. The French wanted the territory equally and they realized that if the Indians had a positive economic arrangement with the British, it would ensure the attraction of English settlers. This would ultimately threaten the desired expansion in the same geographical location that the French had hoped to conquer (Cave 6). By 1740, the French had moved into the Ohio Valley and had built forts to prevent the English from expanding (Griffith IV, 2021).

In response to the French expansion in the Ohio Valley, the Virginia governor sent an expedition to Fort Duquesne to try to assert its dominance in the region (Schweikart and Allen 60). George Washington was at the head of the militia. The Fort was located where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers joined to form the Ohio River located in Pennsylvania. Washington and his Indian troops encountered a small French force on the way to the fort. Washington and his Indian allies attacked the French force killing and wounding them. Washington retreated to Fort Necessity and was later ambushed at the fort by a superior force and was required to surrender (Schweikart and Allen 60). In 1754 leaders from all thirteen colonies realized that they must be unified to face the French forces (Schweikart and Allen 60). The representatives of the thirteen colonies, as well as the leaders of the New England colonies, met to discuss the possibility of future unification. There was no formal success of unification but the colonies independently recognized the threat. A year after the attempt of unification, General Edward Braddock, the leader of another expedition, was sent to reclaim Fort Duquesne. General Braddock and his 2,500 soldiers could not capture the fort and ended up retreating through a forest where they were ambushed by French and Indian forces (Schweikart and Allen 61). Braddock and his men were slaughtered.

As the fight continued, bloodshed increased. In 1756, Marquis de Montcalm, the leader of the Canadian forces, captured two British Forts, Oswego and William Henry. The following year the French had secured all of the entry points into their territory (Schweikart and Allen 61). Despite France’s quick succession of battles in Canada, the tide turned quickly. William Pitt, Britain’s secretary, forged a 50,000-man army to attack French Forts. William and his men captured Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac, and Fort Duquesne (Schweikart and Allen 61). In 1759, Pitt thought he could end the war and commanded General James Wolfe to attack Quebec City. He was given 200 ships with a 10,000 man army. After two months of attacking Quebec settlements, Wolfe controlled Quebec’s supply routes. Montreal, panicking because of the colonies’ quick victory, made a swift and ill-conceived attack against Wolfe’s forces. Wolfe was killed in Quebec’s counterattack, but British forces held their ground and marched into Quebec. A year later, Montreal itself fell, and after the capturing of Montreal “peace might have been imminent had Spain not entered into the war in 1762” (Schweikart and Allen 61). Spain’s efforts to aid the French were in vain and its involvement was unexpected. It fostered a greater impact than those felt in North America. The exploration of territory globally by each nation and the defeats suffered by not just France but Spain, allowed British colonists eventually to control Cuba and the Philippines (Schweikart and Allen 61).

The war finally ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris. The treaty allowed England to have its colonies in India and it also “involved the transfer of Canada and all French possessions east of the Mississippi River to England” (Schweikart and Allen 62). “France lost all of its colonies on the North American mainland” (Notgrass 126). This resulted in Great Britain almost owning the entirety of North America (Schweikart and Allen 62). The damage that was done to the Native American relationships, who fought alongside either country, had long-lasting effects. The Treaty of Paris provided more land for the colonists which ultimately ensured expansion. 

Great Britain won the war against the French but the price was costly. England enforced heavy taxes on American colonists, ultimately leading to the American Revolution. The French and Indian war proved to be a huge milestone in America’s history. During the seven-year war, there were three main components of war. First, the want for more land. Second, the conflict between the French and British colonies. Finally the conclusion of the war with the conquering of French territories and the Treaty of Paris.

Bibliography

Cave, Alfred A. The French and Indian War. Greenwood Press, 2004.

Griffith IV, William R. “The French and Indian War (1754-1763): Causes and Outbreak.” American Battlefield Trust, William R. Griffith IV, 1 Sept. 2021, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/french-and-indian-war-1754-1763-causes-and-outbreak.

Notgrass, Charlene. America the Beautiful. Notgrass Company, 2011.

Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: From COLUMBUS'S Great Discovery to America's Age of Entitlement. Sentinel, 2019.