AP U.S. Historhy
Student Lecture Notes
Unit 1.6
Colonial Wars in 18th Century North America
I. FrenchCanada
A. France was late in coming to the New World
1. Much religious conflict between
Catholics and Huguenots (Calvinists)
2. Edict of Nantes (1598):
Granted limited toleration to French Protestants
a. Religious
wars ceased
b. France
became dominant power in 17th c. Europe led by Louis XIV
B. French established Quebec in 1608 (a year after
Jamestown)
1. Founded by Samuel de Champlain
("Father of New France")
a. Entered
friendship with local Huron Indians, the enemies of the Iroquois
b.
Significance: Iroquois, in retaliation, later kept the French from expanding
into the Ohio Valley, ravaged French settlements, and allied with the British
C. Government
1. No popularly elected assemblies
or trial by jury.
2. French population in New France
grew slowly -- only 6,000 whites by 1750
D. New France expands in North America
1. Of the
European powers, the French were the most successful in creating an
effective trading relationship with the Indians.
a. British settlers sought to remove or exterminate them.
b. Spanish sought to Christianize them and subdued them in
missions.
c. The French became great gift givers (the key to getting on
with Indians who
based their inter-tribal relationships on gift giving) during last two decades
of the 17th century.
i. Trade not
seen as a transact ion or contract (like in Europe).
ii. Trade seen by Indians as a continuing process.
iii. When one group stopped trading w/ another, it was
tantamount
to
declaring war.
2. Beaver trade
led to exploration of much of North America:
a. Heavy demand for fur in European fashion.
b.
coureurs de bois (runners of the woods) were rough frontiersmen
heavily involved in fur trading.
c. French
seamen - voyageurs -- recruited Indians into the fur trade
3. Jesuits: Catholic Missionaries
who sought to convert Indians and save them
from the fur
trappers.
a. Some were brutally killed by Indians (although in the eyes
of Indians,
Jesuits
held up best to torture and were thus more respected).
b. Played a
vital role as explorers and geographers
4. Other explorers
a. Antoine
Cadillac -- founded Detroit in 1701
-- Aimed to keep English settlers out of the Ohio Valley
b. Robert
de La Salle -- Sailed from Quebec, down through the Great Lakes,
and down the Mississippi River in 1682 with the help of Indian guides.
i. Sought to prevent Spanish expansion into Gulf of Mexico region
ii. Coined the name "Louisiana" in honor of Louis XIV
5. French establish posts in Mississippi
region (New Orleans most important)
a. Attempt
to block Spanish expansion into the Gulf of Mexico
b. Forts and
trading posts in Illinois country: Kaskaskia, Cahokia, & Vincennes
-- Large amounts of grain sent down the Mississippi River for shipment to
the West Indies and Europe
II. Clash of Empires: English, French, & Spanish
A. Four world wars between 1688 and 1763
1. King William's War (1689-1697) --
and Queen Anne's War (1702-1713)
a. British colonials fought French coureurs de bois and
Indian allies
(except
Mohawks of the Iroquois confederacy)
b. Treaty
of Utrecht (1713) ended colonial wars for nearly three decades.
c. In
American colonies, a generation of peace ensued; "salutary
neglect"
i. Whig prime minister, Robert Walpole, believed if the colonies were left
alone
to run their own affairs with minimal interference, they would
produce
more wealth and commerce, prosper, and cause less trouble.
ii. England would simply provide peace, protection, commerce, ensure
law and order and domestic tranquility, and send more British
immigrants to America to increase numbers of British customers.
2. King George's War (1744-1748)
(War of Austrian Succession)
a. Spain
again allied with France against Britain.
b. New
Englanders again invaded New France and took the important
city of Louisbourg commanding the entrance to St. Lawrence River.
e. Peace
Treaty of 1748
i. England gave Louisbourg back to the French in order to help
negotiations for a cease-fire in the European war.
ii. British colonists were furious; felt vulnerable from the North.
3. French & Indian War (1754-1763 -- Seven Years' War) --most
important
of the colonial
wars.
a. Main
issue was the Ohio Valley
i. British were pushing west into it; wary of French influence in North America
ii. French needed to retain it to link Canada with the lower
Mississippi valley & Caribbean.
b. Washington’s
Ohio Mission -- Battle near Fort Duquesne -- May, 1754
i. Lt. Col. George Washington sent by Virginia gov’t to forks of Ohio River to
prevent French from building fort there; hoped instead to build a British fort.
ii. Washington defeated and forced to surrender his entire command but
allowed to leave with his army intact.
iii. In effect, Washington triggered a world war.
c. British
retaliated by clamping down in Nova Scotia
i. Relocated 4,000 Nova Scotians throughout the continent including Louisiana.
ii. French-speaking Acadians became the descendants of modern day "Cajuns"
d. War
widened into hitherto largest world war: 25,000 American colonials fought
e. Albany
Congress (1754)
i. Board of Trade called leaders from all the colonies to meet
in Albany
to discuss Indian problem and meet
with Iroquois.
ii. Iroquois refused to commit
themselves to the British
iii. Long-range purpose: greater colonial unity; strong defense against France.
f. Albany
Plan for Union
i. Benjamin Franklin created plan for colonial home rule:
dealt with defense
and Indian affairs.
-- Adopted by delegates
-- Individual colonies rejected it: not enough independence
-- British rejected it: too much independence
ii. (see Franklin's cartoon: "Join, or Die")
g. British General Braddock defeated a few miles from
Fort Duquesne by
smaller French & Indian forces (1755)
h. British
launched full-scale invasion of Canada in 1756 but failed.
i. William
Pitt (The "Great Commoner") – became leader of British
gov’t
i. Very popular among the British people; his success in the war led to
Ft. Duquesne being renamed Pittsburgh.
ii. Strategy: focus on France in North America in order to win the war.
j. Battle
of Quebec (1760)
i. Pitt appointed James Wolfe to take Quebec
ii.British successful on the Plains of Abraham (near Quebec) but Wolfe
&
French commander de Montaclm were killed.
iii. One of most significant battles in British & American history.
k. Peace
of Paris (1763): In effect, France was removed from North America
(Technically, land west of Mississippi River still French but not yet settled.)
-- Great Britain emerged as the dominant power in North America and as the
leading naval power in the world.
III. Friction between the colonies and Britain during and after French and
Indian War.
A. Colonies emerged from war
with increased confidence in their military strength
--Colonial
military leaders angry few Americans were promoted in British army
B. British upset American
shippers traded with Spanish and French West Indies
1. Enemy
Indians were aided by increased foodstuffs
2. British
forbade export of all supplies from New England & Middle colonies
during last year of the war.
3. Some
colonials refused to supply troops: saw economic gain as more
important than loyalty to Britain.
-- Only later agreed to commit troops when Pitt offered to substantially
reimburse colonies.
C. American westward
colonial expansion increased significantly after the war
1. French
barrier west of the Appalachians was removed
2. Spanish
and Indian threats removed in many areas
3. Settlers
no longer as dependent on British protection in the frontier.
D. Pontiac’s Rebellion
(1763)
1. Indians in Ohio Valley region angered at British treatment
of Indians
during
the last years of the French and Indian War.
2. Chief Pontiac, Ottowa chief, refused to surrender his
lands to the British
although
France (their ally in the war) had lost and were now gone.
3. Chief Pontiac led an Indian alliance against whites in the
Ohio Valley &
Great
Lakes region in 1763
a. 9 of 11 British forts taken; several wiped out.
b. Perhaps 2,000 lives lost during first 6 mos. of conflict, many
more
driven
from their homes on the frontier back to more settled areas.
c. It took British 18 months to bring the rebellion under
control.
4. British
retaliated with germ warfare: blankets infected with smallpox
distributed among the Native Americans
5. Rebellion
subdued in October, 1763
E. Proclamation of 1763
1. In
response to Pontiac’s rebellion, George III signed an edict creating
royal colonies in all newly acquired lands in the Treaty of Paris.
2. Prohibited
colonials to move west of the Appalachians
a. Line drawn from Canada to Florida along the crest of the Appalachians
intended to be temporary measure..
b. British aim: Settle land disputes with Indians fairly to prevent more
uprisings like Pontiac's and organize eventual settlement and defense
3. Colonials
infuriated: viewed edict as being permanent.
a. Many veterans had fought in the war and felt betrayed
b. Land speculators argued that the land was a birthright of British citizens.
4. Colonials
generally ignored the Proclamation
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