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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war between the French, British, and their Native American allies. The French were allied with the Huron and the British were allied with the Iroquois. These two groups had conflicting boundaries. They were fighting over who the land in North America belonged to. The war lasted from 1754 to 1763. The British were victorious. As a result, the French had to leave Canada and the Ohio Valley. Great Britain took control over it as a result. -
French Build Fort Duquesne
Located on what is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fort Duquesne was built by the French on April 17, 1754. This fort was being built very deeply into what was considered British land. This fort concerned the British and this made them send George Washington along with soldiers to remove the French from the area. The French along with their Huron allies then attack Washington forcing him to fall back. This marks the beginning of the French and Indian War. -
Battle of Fort Necessity
While Washington and his men were traveling, they noticed that they were being followed by a group of French soldiers commanded by a man called Jumonville. The French became angry at the British. As a result, Washington built a small fort called Fort Necessity. A French and native force made its way towards the Fort. The British were outnumbered and suffered many more casualties. The brother of Jumonville then negotiated with Washington. As a result the British sent an army to defeat the French. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan that was originally suggested by Benjamin Franklin. Its main goal was to put the British Colonies under a more centralized government. This plan was made in order to protect the colonies from the French. The Albany Plan of Union was adopted by seven representatives of the colonies, but the plan was never carried out. This was because the colonies did not want to lose their individual power. -
Battle of Fort Duquesne
The Battle of Fort Duquesne was a British attack on the French Fort Duquesne. This fort was a critical strategic area surrounded by three rivers, the Ohio, the Allegheny, and the Monongahela Rivers. These Rivers made it a vital place to have control over during the war. This one battle was part of a large scale expedition by the British to draw the French out of the Ohio Country and make a push into Canada. The British eventually won after several days of fighting. The fort was renamed Fort Pitt -
Battle of Quebec
The British forces were under the control of General James Wolfe. They launched their attack at midnight with many soldiers coming in by boat. The British had to scale cliffs in order to reach the city. The British managed to defeat the French forces and take control over Quebec. During the battle, General Wolfe suffered a fatal gunshot in both the wrist and stomach. In addition, the French also lost a leader. This battle then resulted in British supremacy in Canada. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Peace of Paris, was signed in 1763 by Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal. This document formally ended the French and Indian War. It said that Great Britain was the winner of the war. It also made the French lose a lot of land in North America and in turn gave the land to the British. The British gained Quebec and the Ohio Valley. After this victory was obtained, the first signs of nationalism was shared with the colonies. -
George Grenville becomes British Prime Minister
George Grenville became the Prime Minister in 1763. During his time as the Prime Minister, He passed the Stamp act. This act required the documents and newspapers to be printed on paper that was stamped by the British. This paper then had to be purchased by the colonists with British currency. This then caused an outrage among the colonists and as a result, many riots and public acts of disobedience broke out. This eventually led to the American Revolution. -
Pontiac’s Rebellion
When the French and Indian War came to an end, the British took control of the former French territory and the natives that lived there. These people did not like the new rulers. One person known as Pontiac developed a plan where each tribe would join forces with the British at each fort and then destroy it. The British then sent armies to attack the Natives. Failing to receive support from others, Pontiac eventually signed a treaty. As a result, the British passed the Proclamation of 1763. -
British Parliament passes the Proclamation of 1763
The British Parliament passes the Proclamation of 1763 was passed and made it so no colonist could settle past the Appalachian Mountains. It also forced people who currently were settled there to move back to the east and abandon their homes. This act was passed in order to keep the peace with the natives and to prevent further confrontation. This was the first time that the natives were actually given rights. -
Parliament passes the Sugar Act
Parliament passed the Sugar Act as a result of the expiring Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733. This act required merchants to pay money for each gallon of imported molasses. This caused the trading of molasses and rum to slow. The colonists could no longer easily obtain the cheaper foreign molasses. It also made it harder for the colonists to smuggle shipments along with the Navigation Acts because of the need for legalization of each shipment. This made the colonists very angry with the British. -
William Pitt becomes British Prime Minister
William Pitt became the Prime Minister in 1766. It was during the French and Indian war where his popularity grew. In 1756 he was appointed Secretary of State by George II. By 1758, Pitt singlehandedly controlled a majority of the war effort. As a leader, he showed great strategy and organization skills. He also paid for supplies and soldiers for the war effort which in turn put Britain in dept. These expenses then caused the British to put many taxes on goods and eventually spark a revolution.
