Chapter 6
The Seven Years War
"The Great War for Empire"
A. The First Clash (1754) 1. Washington and his Army were ordered by Dinwiddie to seek out the French fort a. He was given an Architect to build the fort (He was French) b. Governor Dinwiddie wanted to name the fort "Fort Dinwiddie" 2. " Battle of Great Meadows" a. Washington started building the fort b. The Architect goes to the French and gives them the blueprints to the fort. c. French ambush them while building but the fort was just a pile of scraps d. Start building the fort Hastily (Fort Necessity) 3. Held at ransom a. Washington and his men were held at ransom b. told to go home (sally Fairfax is pregnant) i. he was held a hero once he goes home to virginia ii. Washington has done nothing though
B. The Albany Conference / The Albany Convention 1. Convened by the officials of the British board of Trade 2. Held at Albany New York in 1754 3. This was considered the first attempt at cooperation among leaders a. Representatives from New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland i. Ben Franklyn Was the representative of Pennsylvania 4. The British wanted the Colonists and Indians on their side a. 150 chiefs of the Iroquois Tribes i. Iroquois had grown impatient because of the colonial land grabing ii. "Brother, you are not to expect to hear of me anymore" (Chief Hendrick) b. British could not afford to lose both of them i. although this, they had real estate agents bribed some minor Iroquois Chiefs to sign a "deed" to a huge land tract in Pennsylvania. ii. Which caused the Indians to refuse all British alliances 5. The Plan of Union (Ben Franklyn , Deputy postmaster General) a. Indian Affairs, western settlement, other items of mutual interest to all the colonies be placed under the authority of a grand council composed of representatives elected by the colonial assemblies, and appointed a royally appointed president. b. colonists have different interests and their own interest i. Taxation ii. Communication iii. Native American issues 6. Result of Albany Congress a. dismal failures b. failed because the Iroquois broke off relations with Britain and threatened to trade with the French.
C. Colonial Claims and Indian Interests 1. The absence of intercolonial cooperation proved to be one of the greatest weaknesses in the British North American Empire. 2. The 3 parts of the war were fought in: a. Arcadia in 1713 (later named Nova Scotia) i. occupied the fortress of Louisburg( gaurded fishing grounds and St. Lawrence river to the approach of New France.) ii. captured in 1745 (by England in King George's War) iii. French Reclaimed it upon settlement in 1758 iv. Known as (The Gibraltar of the New World) b. Border between New France and New York i. Canadians vs. New Yorkers (wanted Indian trade) ii. resorted to building forts on Lake George and Lake Champlain(Homeland of Iroquois Confederacy. c. The Ohio Country (trans-Appalachian region along the Ohio River) i. chief focus for the French and the British ii. French thought they would lose the Mississippi trading empire iii. 1749 French sent Forces to the Ohio to warn off British iv. In 1752 supported by their Northern Indian Allies they sent out a huge number of British traders. v. In 1753 made a series of forts along (Forks) to prevent British from coming back 3. British prepare for a General war a. Established fort Halifax in Nova Scotia as a counterpart for Louisburg b. New York they strengthened existing forts and built new ones. c. British King directly conformed an enormous grant of land on the Ohio Company, which made plans to build a fort on the Forks of the Ohio. (Virginia and London capitalists) 4. Indians and the Ohio Country a. became a refuge for the Indians who had fled other Indians i. they opposed the British ii. opposed the western expansion iii. they were disturbed by the French Movement b. The Iroquois Confederacy maintained an official position of Neutrality between the rival colonies i. also like them the Creeks carved a similar role between the colonies
D. Frontier Warfare 1. Fort Duquesne (1755) a. named after the governor of French Canada b. Under General Edward Braddock i. told to destroy and attack fort Duquesne ii. Sent two colonial advisors (George Washington and Ben Franklyn) iii. want to evict French from the Ohio Valley and Canada iv. Franklyn was trying to warn Braddock to don't rank in file c. French Ambushed British i. was given two colonial advisors (George W. , and Franklyn) ii. Washington was shot five times iii. Washington saves Braddock iv. Because he got "shot" five times the Indians called him "Great White Father" v. Washington has enough time to rally retreat (Washington considered a hero) vi. French General is Marquis de Montcalm 2. Many Skirmishes (France and Britain 1755/1756) a. turned out to be a disaster for the British b. Canadians captured the British forts in northern New York c. absence of colonial cooperation hampered the British attempt to mount a counter attack. d. The British made the Arcadians to swear allegiance to the crown. i. they did not ii. gives British a reason to expel iii. 1755 New England troops send out 10,000 Arcadians across America. vi. Called Cajuns
E. William Pitt appointed prime minister 1. subsidized the Prussians to fight in Europe and reserved Britain's own resources for naval and colonial operations. 2. Pitt committed the British to conquest of Canada and elimination of French Competition 3. was embarrassing 4. focused on too many colonies (he understood their concerns) 5. Pitt bought colonial cooperation by reimbursing them 6. Pitt focused much on resources
F. 1758 and 1759 1. John Forbes a. Attack fort Duckain b. honor of the Prime minister c. renamed Pittsburg
G. General James Wolfe 1. was put in for Loudon 2. Objective of the Ohio River Valley was met 3. Now for Canada 4. Went to Quebec 1759 in the Plain of Abraham last battle fought Wolfe and Montcalm died
1761 Spain became allies of France
1763 Treaty of Paris France loses Canadian possession loses India (Empire) loses land east of the Mississippi Spain got French lands west of the Mississippi New Orleans gives England Florida England gets French lands in Canada exclusive rights to Caribbean Slave trade commercial dominance in India
Chief Pontiac in 1763 of Ottawa was main figure within revolts