French Indian War Altar Political, Economic, Ideological

¶ … French Indian war altar political, economic, ideological relations American colonies Britain?

In what ways did the French-Indian War alter political, economic, ideological relations between the American colonies and Great Britain?

For many years, tensions had been simmering between England and France, the dominant European powers in control of the colonial territories in the Americas. The two nations' relationship was even more complicated due to the various tribal alliances of Native Americans. At the onset of the French-Indian War, by and large, the Indians favored the French. The French tended to be more honest and aboveboard in their dealings with the natives. The French were more interested in establishing economic trade roots in America, rather than creating colonies, a situation which the Indians preferred. In contrast, the British population of settlers in the colonies was 250,000 in 1700 and 1.25 million in 1750 -- a staggering growth in a relatively short period of time (Kindig 2010:1).

The British also had a substantial economic as well as political interest in the colonies. The colonies were an abundant supply of raw materials such as copper, hemp, tar, and turpentine. "They also required a great deal of money, and so they provided that all of these American products be shipped exclusively to England (the Navigation Acts). In an effort to raise revenue and simultaneously interfere with the French in the Caribbean, a 6 pence tax on each gallon of molasses was imposed in 1733…Enforcement of these regulations became difficult, so the English government established extensive customs services, and vice-admiralty courts empowered to identify, try, and convict suspected smugglers. These devices were exclusive of, and superior to, the colonial mechanisms of justice" (Kindig 2010). Thus, the colonists even before the thus had reason to be dissatisfied by British usurpation of their authority.

A dispute over territory in Ohio proved to be the precipitating cause of the French-Indian War. In November 1753. Major George Washington was sent to demand the French withdraw from the territory. When the French refused, Washington began to build a fort nearby, thinking "if he could not drive the French from the area, he would at least contest their presence with his own stockade. A combined force of French soldiers and their native allies overwhelmed Fort Necessity on July 3, 1754, marking the start of the French and Indian War in the New World…The next few years witnessed French successes on the battlefield against the English, including General Edward Braddock's defeat in 1755" ("French-Indian Wars," Ohio History Central, 2005). These successes were largely the result of the native support of the French.

While the British colonists appealed to the King for permission to raise armies and monies to defend themselves, they were refused. "English officers in America were also widely contemptuous of colonials who volunteered for service" (Kindig 2010). However, the British were determined to hold on to their colonies -- Prime Minister William Pitt feared French dominion over Europe, if it established control over the valuable trade through the New World. "In 1758, sizable numbers of British soldiers arrived to carry out Pitt's plan. With colonial assistance, British soldiers captured Fort Duquesne that year. In 1759, the English captured both Fort Niagara and Quebec, France's major city in the New World. Montreal fell the following year, leaving England in control of France's possessions in North America" ("French-Indian Wars," Ohio History Central, 2005).

While imported British troops made up a substantial portion of the fighting force against the French, many colonists did gain a military orientation during the war in the tactics of the King's Army, which they were later able to use to great effect during the Revolutionary War. Washington's experience during the French-Indian War proved to be formative in shaping his military strategy as a general in the Revolutionary War. Another important development was the Albany Plan of Union. In June 1754 "delegates from most of the northern colonies and representatives from the Six Iroquois Nations met in Albany, New York. They decided on a 'plan of union' drafted by Benjamin Franklin. Under this plan each colonial legislature would elect delegates to an American continental assembly presided over by a royal governor," establishing more autonomy for the colonies (Power Point slide 22). However, British officials realized that, if adopted, the plan could create a very powerful government that His Majesty's Government might not be able to control. The plan was rejected by the Crown and by the legislatures in several of the colonies" (Power Point slide 22-23). Still, the Albany Plan planted the seed in many colonists' mind that they were justified in seeking greater control over their

The colonial conflicts that spawned French-Indian War spread into Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 1763, the French and British signed the Treaty of Paris (1763), which formally concluded the War. France lost nearly all of its colonies in North America to the English. England now owned most of what is today Canada "and most of the land between the Atlantic seaboard and the Mississippi River" ("French-Indian Wars," Ohio History Central, 2005). While the English emerged victorious, they did so only through amassing an enormous debt. "It was that debt that caused the escalation of tensions leading to the Revolutionary War. Parliament was desperate to obtain two objectives; first, to tax the colonies to recover monies expended on the battle over North America, and second to restore the profitability of the East India Company in an effort to recover monies spent on the battle over India" which had also been raging during this time (Kindig 2010). The Crown saw itself as justified in levying taxes upon the colonists, given that it felt it was effectively defending their security. To pay for the debt it incurred during the war, the British Parliament began to levy more and more taxes and duties upon the colonists, who begin to chafe under the burden. Without the French-Indian War, although there likely would have been conflicts for control between the colonists and the Crown, it is unlikely the relationship would have been pushed to a crisis point so quickly.