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Edict of Nantes
France was a latecomer in the scramble for New World real estate. It was convulsed during the 1500s by foreign wars and domestic strife, including the frightful clashes between Roman Catholics and Protestant Huguenots. The Edict of Nantes granted limited toleration to French Protestants. Religious wars were ceased. -
Samuel de Champlain Colonizes Quebec For France
Samuel de Champlain as the "Father of New France." After founding Jamestown, the permanent beginnings of a vast empire were established at Quebec. Champlain was the leading figure and sentinel of the St. Lawrence River. He entered into friendly relations with the nearby Huron Indian tribes and joined them in battle against their foes. France, thus earned the lasting enmity of the Iroquois tribes. -
Louis XIV Become King of France
King Louis XIV was enthroned at the age of 5. He reigned for no less than 72 years (1643-1715). He was surrounded by a glittering court and scheming ministers and mistresses. Louis XIV took a deep interest in overseas colonies. He paved the way for Samuel de Champlain, the "Father of New France." -
Robert de La Salle Explore Mississippi River
To check Spanish penetration into the region of the Gulf of Mexico, Robert de La Salle floated down the Mississippi River to the point where it merges with the Gulf of Mexico. He named the interior basin "Lousiana", in honor of King Louis XIV. He returned to the Gulf of Mexico three years later with a colonizing expedition of four ships. But he failed to find the Mississippi delta, landed in Spanish Texas, and in 1687 was murdered by his mutinous men. -
Founding of New Orleans
French officials persisted in their efforts to block Spain on the Gulf of Mexico. They planted several fortified posts in what is now Mississippi and Louisiana, the most important of which was New Orleans. This strategic semitropical outpost also tapped the fur trade of the huge interior valley. -
War of Jenkins's Ear
British captain Jenkins encountered Spanish revenue authorities and had one ear sliced off by a sword. Jenkins aroused furious resentment when he returned home to Britain. The War of Jenkins's Ear broke out between the British and the Spaniards. The war was confined to the Caribbean and Georgia, where James Oglethrope fought the Spanish. This small scuffle with Spain in America soon merged with the War of Austrian Succession in Europe and came to be called King George's War in America. -
King George's War
This war was a combination of the small-scale scuffle with Spain in America (The War of Jenkins's Ear) and the large-scale War of Austrian Succession in Europe. France allied itself with Spain and New Englanders invaded France. With the help of Britain, they were able to capture the French fortress of Louisbourg. A peace treaty handed Louisbourg back to the French. -
George Washington Goes to the Ohio Coutnry
George Washington, a 21-year-old fellow Virginian, was sent to the Ohio Country as a lieutenant colonel in command of about 150 Virginian militiamen. They encountered a small detachment of French troops in the forest about 40 miles from Fort Duqesne. The Virginians fired the first shots of the globegirdling new war. The French forced Washington to surrender his entire command, but was permitted to march away with the full honors of war. Washington became the first president of the USA. -
The Seven Years' War (The French and Indian War)
The Seven Years' War was fought by the French, Indian, and the British and was not only in America, but in Europe, in the West Indies, in the Philippines, in Africa, and on the ocean. It had many effects. It simultaneously bolstered colonial self-esteem and shattered the myth of British invincibility. The Treaty of Paris that ended the French and Indian War dealt a harsh blow to to Indian tribes. It also caused the colonists to develop a new vision of their destiny. -
Braddock's Defeat
General Braddock of Britain was sent to Virginia with a strong detachment of British regulars. He set out with some 2,000 men to capture Fort Duqesne. He encountered a small French and Indian army. Murderous fire took place and the entire Brtish force was routed after appalling losses. The Indians took a wider warpath. The whole frontier from Pennsylvania to North Carolina was left virtually naked by Braddock's defeat. -
William Pitt Emerges as Leader of British Government
In the hour of crisis, Britain brought forth William Pitt. He became a foremost leader in the London government. He decided to soft-pedal assaults on the French West Indies and to concentrate on the vitals of Canada. He dispatched a powerful expedition in 1758 against Louisbourg, which fell after a blistering seige. Next on his list was Quebec. Pitt's partner, Jame Wolfe, defeated the French in the Battle of Quebec. Great Britain was the dominant power in North America. -
Proclomation of 1763
The London government issued its Proclamation of 1763. It prohibited settlement in the area beyond the Appalachians, pending further adjustments. The truth is that this hastily drawn document was not designed to oppress the colonists at all, but to work out the Indian problem fairly and prevent another bloody eruption like Pontiac's uprising. -
Pontiac's Uprsing
The Seven Years' War dealt a harsh blow to the Indian tribes. It deprived the Indians of their most powerful diplomatic weapon - the ability to play off the rival European powers against one another. In the future the Indians would have to negotiate with the British. Sensing the position of the Indians, the Ottawa chief Pontiac led several tribes in a violent campaign to drive the British out of the Ohio Country. They eventually overran all but 3 British posts and killed some 2,00 people.
