preview

French And Indian War Dbq

Decent Essays

Taking place in the time period of 1754 and 1763, the French and Indian War--also called the Seven Years’ War in Britain--was considered the first “world war” by Winston Churchill because it took place in North America, Europe, West Indies, the Philippines, and Africa. In this war, France teamed up with native tribes in North America while Britain and its colonial forces successfully fought back. The French and Indian War negatively affected the relationship between Britain and its American colonies ideologically by the British treatment of the colonists like second-class citizens resulting in resentment, economically by ending salutary neglect in order to pay its war debts, and politically by issuing the Proclamation of 1763 in order to avoid …show more content…

George Washington, a colonial military leader, humbly asked for a chance to join and learn of the military profession under General Edward Braddock (document C). During this time colonists were restricted in advancing in terms of military rank. Because of this, it is apparent that the colonists were treated as second-class citizens since they were not given equal opportunity as their British counterparts. A diary entry from a colonial soldier also shows the lack of attention Britain gave to its colonial soldiers (document D). The colonists fighting for Great Britain in the Seven Years’ War felt mistreated as they compared the amount of attention given to them and their British equivalent, which was relatively low. This treatment from the crown resulted in low morale and resentment in the colonists towards the British. The French and Indian war also ideologically affected Britain's relationship with its colonies by slowly shattering the colonial myth that the British were invincible. …show more content…

Salutary neglect was Britain’s practice of “turning a blind eye” toward colonial activity, predominantly economical activity. The British Order in Council of 1763 was a written document intended for the King, or other Britons, with a purpose of exposing the fact that the colonists were failing to pay their necessary taxes and made it clear that it was not fair to Britain to have a military establishment in North America to aid the colonists when the colonists were not financially supporting this establishment (document F). This document raised British awareness that the practice of salutary neglect in the colonies harmed profit levels that could be used to sustain a standing army in the colonies. As a result, the Navigation Acts of 1763 began to be enforced and only allowed British and American ships in colonial ports. In order to raise funds to pay for the war, Britain decided to tax the colonies on items such as stamps and paper(document G). This sudden taxation on the colonies created resentment, in form of boycotts on British goods and the birth of organizations such as the Sons of Liberty who fought against taxation by burning and boycotting British custom houses. Colonial reaction to the end of salutary neglect and the beginning of the enforcement of taxation was negative, as newspapers began to publish mastheads with

Get Access