The French and Indian Wars' Impact on America
At the peak of Britain's prominence, it was said that the sun never sets on the British Empire. Many were enthralled under its wing of mighty protection and dare a country stand up to Britain and face the consequences. In 1755 the last of the great conflicts between the Britain and France broke out. Although initially proving its superiority, one of the main facets of the British Empire headed for a major transformation. So that is why I say the very of the British triumph over France in the French and Indian War opened the door to the American Revolution.
Magnitude of this war was on a scale as such that no man had ever seen before. The numbers of troops assembled were in numbers
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The lack of a government contributed to some of the anarchy during the French and Indian War (Notes 86). While the Albany Plan of Union was a promising plan, its disapproval by the colonies for being too strong quickly made an easy solution of some governmental problems virtually impossible. The success of both Britain and the colonies was depending on a very shoddy plan of war. The assumption on anyone's part that this victory would be one sided was simply refuted in the first months of the war. The defeat of Washington at Fort Necessity show the hubris that the British may be starting to develop. The beliefs of the colonials that as long as the Redcoats were here that they were safe may be viewed as anything but true. Colonials welcomed the Redcoats with open arms but soon realized that they weren't as magnificent and noteworthy as they were played up to be. The disappointment of the colonials was due to the simple fact that the Redcoats fought a European war not a new style war that limited success and sometimes determined failure.
The cost of the war in both men and dollars was great to England. About 10,000 British troops were needed for the defense of North America after the war, costing approximately thirty-five hundred thousand pounds a year (Hafstadter 76). Many colonials were not welcoming the change, and voiced their opinions as such. Officials in New Jersey stated that America could
Before the war, the colonists were in a time of Salutary Neglect. Colonist could go about their business, passing laws, running the government how they wanted. The militia was under the control of American colonist and people such as George Washington could rise to the rank of Corporal. The British government had little involvement in the colonies as long as the colonies provided them with raw goods. However, with the start of the war, Salutary Neglect was over. As the British got involved in the fighting, colonist near the fighting soon joined them. However, the government passed laws that made them second-class soldiers compared to the British soldiers. American colonist could not rise above the rank of Captain, which was very demeaning to people like Washington who had been a Corporal in the Virginia Militia. The colonists were also treated like crap when it came to service. According to a soldier during the French and Indian War, the conditions in which soldiers worked, made it seem like the
The American Revolution was a critical turning point in American history. Following the French and Indian War, Britain ignored its previous policy of salutary neglect and began intervening in the colonies affairs through taxes, occupation of soldiers, violation of civil liberties, all the while ignoring colonial pleas for representation in Parliament. These events led to the “shot heard ‘round the world” at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. America was now at war with Britain. Nevertheless, the impact of
The French and Indian war changed the relationship between Britain and the American colonies by restoring England’s power over the colonies, creating trade restrictions between America and other nations, and forming new thoughts of revolution in the colonists.
The French and Indian war was cause by many resulted tension in North America. French and British imperials and colonist sought to extend each country’s sphere of influence in frontier regions. Their origin in the trade with Native Americans, sparke the French and Indian war. “French claimed territory surrounding the Great Lake. They were hoping to succeed from the furs trade with the Indians. And the war began with French and their Indians allies Indians allies, “(the majority of peoples in the Northeast and upper Midwest”) attacking British frontier settlements. The Seven year’s War did not began good for the British. So the governor from British order General Edward Braddock 's to go to the colonies as the
felt that that wasn’t the best way to make money. Americans believed in liberty, peace, freedom, love and gratitude. They felt like they were supporting enough revenue back to Britain and that they should be given more
From a British economic standpoint, the French and Indian War, in addition to the Seven Years War, plunged them further and further into a seemingly endless mountain of debt. Profits and taxes were insufficient to keep the country afloat: “[the] revenue…is small and inconsiderable…” (Document F). This caused Britain to heavily tax its own citizens. The British citizens saw no justice in this, as they centered on the fact that their tax money was paying for American wars and military. The military
To travel to America and battle against the colonists, the British soldiers had to go across the
The American Revolution was a political separation between Britain and the original Thirteen Colonies. It occurred between the years 1765 and 1783, resulting in a lot of bloodshed and casualties. With tension building between the two powers, the revolution was a battle that formed what America is today. The Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, and the many taxes imposed are factors to what lead the colonists to form together and fight Britain. The reason why America won against its former owner is because of the alliance with France, the knowledge of the terrain, and the determination that the soldiers had.
The French and Indian war was the event that provoked the American Revolution. The French and Indian war or Seven years war, lead to certain events that caused Americans to realize that their English liberties were being denied.
The American Revolution was the first time any country had fought for independence, and that was a big deal in the 1700s. At the time, Great Britain was considered to be the greatest empire in the nation-how did thirteen little colonies with no military experience defeat this powerful empire? The colonists were very hesitant at first, but with superb leadership, help from the French, and a few errors made by British commanders, the colonies were able to conquer Great Britain and create their own empire.
The American Revolution was far from being the first conflict to occur on the soil of the New World. There were multiple skirmishes, battles, and official wars fought in the territory that resulted in severe bloodshed before the idea of the American Revolution was even conceived. One of the most significant of these wars was the French and Indian War or as it was known in Europe, the Seven Years’ War. At its conclusion in 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed. The English received a substantial amount of new land for the Empire (94). However, with the acquisition of new land and a significant amount of debt from the extensive war efforts, the British government had to reevaluate many of their policies (95-96). After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, the British were confident in their mastery of North America. However by attempting to tighten their control over their American colonies they initiated a series of poorly thought out programs and policies which resulted in a disastrous rebellion.
While there are numerous contributing factors to America’s success in achieving independence, the most critical factor can be attributed to the series of British mistakes throughout the conflict. Prior to the onset of the Revolutionary War, the British government faced serious challenges, both politically and fiscally. The conclusion of the French and Indian War coupled with the fighting in Europe, India and the West Indies, left Britain with considerable debt and with few to little allies. The British government saw America as a way
The French and Indian was a turning point in the American Revolution, and involved various countries around the globe. Many changes in the political lifestyle helped changed the colonies immensely. America wanted its independence more than ever after events that sparked a great shift between the 13 colonies and its mother country. Economic affairs were increasing because of the war and the need for products that the Americans were able to produce. The idea of wanting its independence from Britain was forced upon them after the French and Indian War when Americans felt that they were receiving unfair treatment from Great Britain. The French and Indian War altered British and American relations by changing the colonist's beliefs in
The United States of America had begun its political life as a colony of the British Empire. However, as the 20th century dawned, the nation quickly found itself as one of the world’s leading imperial powers. Historians have proposed various reasons for this change in the American psyche. Historians from the progressive school of thought argue that economic interests dictated American foreign policy; while academics of the Conservative or older patriotic tradition advocate that the nation's brief foray into imperialism represented a “great aberration” from typical American isolationism. A third school led by Julius Pratt, applied Social Darwinism to the country – stating that a combination of religious and humanitarian components motivated
The irregular and disorganized British rule of the American colonies in the previous years led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans did not originally want to separate from mother England. They wanted to stay loyal to the crown. England’s unwillingness to compromise, mismanagement of the colonies, heavy taxation of the colonists that violated their rights, the distractions of foreign affairs and politics in England and the strict trading policies that England tried to enforce together made the revolution inevitable. The British were definitely expected to win the dispute because they significantly over powered the Colonists in most areas. They had more money, weapons, people, etc. However the American’s prevailed with