The Duel for North America

AP U.S. History

Chapter 6

• Huge struggle for North America that

included England (now Great Britain), France, and Spain. 4 wars will take place in Europe that were fought in the waters and on the soil of two hemispheres.

France Finds a Foothold in Canada• Fishers – Grand Banks

– Coastal Indians – skins of beaver– French-dominated fur trade!– Recognized the importance of reciprocity

• 1608 in Quebec • Samuel de Champlain • friendly - Hurons • enemies - Iroquois

• French population - did not increase rapidly - only 15,000 whites by 1750 (compared to about 2 million in the 13 colonies). There was no economic advantage to move here. The economic advantage was to settle in the Indies – sugar and rum.– 1663 – New France – Royal Control

(mercantilism), tried to build up population…

New France Fans Out• French fur trappers

– coureurs de bois – beavers. Recruited Indians in to the business, but changed their way of life due to diseases, slaughtering of the beaver. Successful - effective trading relationship with the Indians.

led to exploration of much of North America

• Missionaries• LaSalle – Louisiana•Biloxi (1698), Mobile (1702)

The Clash of Empires

• Four world wars between 1688 and 1763

• King William’s/Queen Anne’s

• Political consequences:– Sense of dependence– Loyalty/sense of British identity – Military weaknesses– Our shipping needed Royal Navy protection

• 1713 – 1739 – Peace/Prosperity• 1740 – 1748 - King George’s War• Afterwards – chief area of contention –

Ohio River Valley– Competing claims by VA, PA, France, Iroquois,

and the Indians who actually lived there!

• 1753 – French – building forts• VA – sends George Washington to

force French out• 1754 – GW pushed back

Global War and Colonial Disunity • Mid-1754 - Albany Congress - 7 colonies -

delegates - plan for defense against French, get support of Iroquois. – Ben Franklin

– Long-range purpose: greater colonial unity

– “Grand Council” with crown-appointed “president general,” could demand funds from colonies

– Individual colonies rejected

Benjamin Franklin published “Join, or Die,” the first known American cartoon, in his Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754, to support his plan for colonial union presented at the Albany Congress.

Treaty of Paris 1763

• France removed from North America.

• France - Great Britain all lands east of the Miss. River

• Spain - Great Britain Florida in exchange for the return of Cuba.

• Britain - largest empire in the world. • France badly humiliated and eager for revenge.

Friction Among Allies• British Officers complained about

– quality of colonial troops (who complained about being treated like “slaves”)

– unwillingness of colonists to provide food/shelter

• William Pitt’s promise to reimburse colonies – Britons MAD!!– British debt – from $72million to $132million

(ours - $2million)

War’s Fateful Aftermath

• Spain and Indian threat reduced b/c they were removed or pushed further away – Spain from FL, Indians no allies.

• American westward colonial expansion increased significantly after the war

Pontiac’s Rebellion• Indians in Ohio Valley region angered at British treatment

during the last years of the French and Indian War.

• Chief Pontiac refused to surrender his lands to the British

• Led an Indian alliance against whites in the Ohio Valley & Great Lakes region in 1763 - 9 of 11 British forts taken; several wiped out. Perhaps 2,000 lives lost during first 6 months of conflict, many more driven from their homes on the frontier back to more settled areas. It took British 18 months to bring the rebellion under control. British retaliated with germ warfare: blankets infected with smallpox distributed among the Indians.

• Rebellion subdued in October, 1763

Proclamation of 1763• In response to Pontiac’s Rebellion

– End frontier fighting

• King George III

• Prohibited colonials to move west of

the Appalachians • British aim: Settle land disputes with Indians fairly to

prevent more uprisings like Pontiac's and organize eventual settlement and defense

• Colonials infuriated - ignored the Proclamation