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Washington is sent to warn the French against encroaching on British land
By this time, Washington had been appointed Lieutenant Colonel in the Virginia militia. In the fall of 1753, Virginia's governor sent him to warn the French against encroaching on British territory in the Ohio River Valley. The French did not heed the warning, remained where they were, and within six months seized another British controlled post along the frontier and named it Fort Duquesne. -
Benjamin Franklin publishes the "Join or Die" political cartoon
At the beginning of the French and Indian War, Benjamin Franklin published the "Join or Die" cartoon in the Pennsylvania Gazette. It depicted a snake cut into pieces, with each piece named after a colony. The cartoon was designed to unite the colonies against the French and their indigenous allies by showing them they were stronger together, and illustrating the consequences of remaining divided. -
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The French and Indian War
This was a global conflict between European powers that began in the colonies in 1754, with the French and their native allies fighting against the British. The war spread to Europe in 1756, inviting the participation of other nations like Prussia. At the end of the war, France lost the majority of its American territories and England lost significant amounts of money. -
Benjamin Franklin proposes the Albany Plan of Union
In an early attempt to protect the colonies from French and native threats, the British attempted to form an alliance with the Iroquois Confederacy. To do this, Britain invites an official Iroquois delegation to Albany to meet with representatives from several colonies. Benjamin Franklin used this meeting to propose the Albany Plan of Union, which would establish a council of representatives from various colonial assembles. The plan was rejected. -
Washington is expelled from Fort Duquesne after his initial victory
Washington led a surprise attack on French-occupied Fort Duquesne with the help of indigenous nations in May 1754. He was successful, leading the governors of Virginia and North Carolina to provide him with additional troops. However, within two months France had responded with a larger force that caused Washington to surrender. -
General Edward Braddock arrives with regiments to expel the French from Fort Duquesne
After the beginning of the war, the British government decided to send additional troops to defend its colonies from indigenous and French intrusions. General Edward Braddock arrived with two regiments to expel the French from Fort Duquesne while colonial militias fought along the New York and New England frontiers. However, in a few months, Braddock's forces were attacked and he was killed. -
British win control of Quebec and Canada
Despite growing colonial unrest, the tide of the Seven Years' War began to turn in favor of the British by the summer of 1758, allowing the British to strengthen their colonial campaign. They recaptured several American forts, including Fort Duquesne, while Prussia won victories in Europe and France's efforts suffered. This allowed Britain to win control Quebec and Canada by 1759. -
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Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac was an Ottawa leader who was inspired by native visionary Neolin, and believed that the British must be expelled for natives to prosper. Therefore, he called a council of natives and urged them to fight back in 1763, leading to mobilization and attacks against the British forts and frontier. Due to a variety of factors, including insufficient diplomacy to win French support, they were defeated. -
The Peace of Paris is finalized
By 1762, the cost of the war convinced King George the 3rd to open peace negotiations with France. The resulting treaty, called the Peace of Paris, was finalized in 1763 and signaled the formal end to the Seven Years' War. The agreement expelled France from North America, gave Louisiana and other lands to Spain, and Canada and lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain. -
Proclamation Line of 1763 is passed
After repeated clashes with natives on the frontier, including Pontiac's rebellion, Britain wanted to avoid future costly clashes and improve trade relations. Therefore, royal colonial officials issued the Proclamation Line of 1763 to forbid colonial settlement west of a line running down the Appalachian Mountains. While intended to create a buffer, it did not improve conflicts and colonists were angered by the loss of land and wealthy speculators' disregard of the rule.