One source of conflict between the French and English in the North America was the difference in how

they used land. The French led a different kind of life in the Americas than did the English. They were more sparsely settled, their settlers were mostly men not families, and they were very interested in the trading of furs. They were more closely allied with the Indians because they lived more like the Indians ranging over territories and not staking out agricultural claims of land ownership in the same ways as the English. They very often intermarried with tribes. They ranged up and down waterways and these were very important to their economy (fur trading). (pp 46-49 and p 55) The beginning of the French and Indian War was really ignited when the French sought control over the Ohio River. If you remember this river runs into the Mississippi which the French already controlled, but the head of this river was very near the western fringes of the English colonies. Louis de Bouade (Frontenac) along with his Indian allies began to terrorize outlying English settlements to keep them from moving into the Ohio river valley. (Think about it, if the English move into the area to farm and build towns which required logging and clearing land would there be very much wild life left to trap?) Another cause for the war was that the French and English were already at war in Europe (King William had renewed Englands allegiance to the Alliance that was fighting France) and so those tensions naturally spilled over into the New World. The new world gained strategic importance as each country fought over the self interests of their settlers and economies. During a very early battle Washington attacked a French party while on a mission from Virginias govern Dinwiddie. This began his career, but was also added fuel to the fire when it turned out that one of the soldiers scalped was the brother of a French commander. (p 55) Washington was forced to sign a French confession which he could not read and this confession was used as a just cause for war casus belli (p 57). The French had weaker positions in the Americas mainly because of how differently they settled New France. They also had a vain King - King Louis who was power grabbing in Europe tried to power grab in the Americas he had the French build forts. They built a lot of forts, but most were poorly manned they just didnt have enough troops (p. 58 they were over extended). King Louis XIV who had never even been to New France decided that fort Louisbourg was to be built to secure the mouth of the St. Lawrence river. They rebuilt it, rebuilt it, and rebuilt it as it continually fell to the British. It had massive walls and room for six armed regiments, but Bennett said it was an impractical prestige project on which they wasted much expense and energy. (Think about it LOUISbourg) (p 49-50) The main strength of the French was Quebec. That was the British Strategy that finally won the war and was the idea of William Pitt (the new British Prime Minister). When they attacked at Quebec, France had to pull back from its out posts in order to defend it. When Quebec fell the war was pretty much over colonists celebrated and William Pitt was a hero. The war officially ended with the Peace of Paris in 1763.

Even though the colonists experienced some mistreatment from the British soldiers which they would recall later (p. 58), they loved William Pitt and loved being a part of the British Empire. Because of their aid to England during this war they expected greater autonomy (independence). (p.60) Interestingly enough it was in trying to defeat the French during the French and Indian War that the first seeds for colonial union were sown and they were sown not by the colonists themselves but by London. Benjamin Franklins famous cartoon of the snake was not for union during the revolution, but union during the French and Indian War! (p. 55)