The French and Indian War: A Battle of
European Heavyweights.
By: John Petrolias
Objective
• Students should be able to list two main
battles in the French and Indian War and
their overall outcomes.
Get Out!
• The French begin to build forts to stake their
claim to the land between Lake Erie and the
Ohio River Valley.
• The British hear of this, and a militia led by
George Washington is sent up to demand the
French to leave the territory.
• Washington returns home and tells the
governor that the French don’t listen to his
warning.
D’oh!
• Washington travels north the following year
with orders to build a fort where the
Allegheny and Monongahela meet.
• The French got there first, however, and made
a fort of their own called Fort Duquesne.
• Washington compromised and made a fort of
his own 50 miles south called Fort Necessity.
Here We Go
• A small battle occurs later with a small British
army defeats a small French army.
• However, a larger French army defeats
Washington, and forces them to give up Fort
Necessity.
• The French boldly state that they will not give
up the Ohio River Valley territory.
The Albany Congress
• The British expect war to break out, so they call a meeting of
colonial leaders called the Albany Congress.
• The British need to make sure that the colonies are all enemies
of the French.
• The British asked the Iroquois to make an alliance, but the
Iroquois refused.
• The Iroquois believed strongly that the French would defeat
the British in the war.
Join, or Die
• Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania knew the colonies
had to cooperate in order to defeat the French.
• Franklin published a picture in the Philadelphia
Gazette which included a snake cut into pieces.
• The picture simply stated: “Join, or Die”
The First Battle
• The British finally decided to push the
French out of the Ohio River Valley.
• They send General Edward Braddock
and George Washington capture Ft.
Duquesne.
• The British arrive with a force of troops
and a Virginia militia.
Why Don’t You Listen?!
• General Braddock didn’t listen to warnings about being
perfect targets walking through dense forests with bright
red coats on.
• Ben Franklin also warned Braddock about ambushes, which
Braddock thought were no threat to his well-trained
troops.
• Braddock also didn’t know about fighting in dense forests
because he was used to fighting in the open fields of
Europe.
Told You So!
• The ignored warnings turned out to be
fatal for Braddock.
• Braddock’s troops were ambushed and
killed by the French and their Native
American allies.
• General Braddock was also among the
wounded and killed soldiers.
More British Letdowns
• The British suffered other defeats besides the one at
Ft. Duquesne.
• An army failed to take Ft. Niagara in Ontario.
• Some native allies and a small army suffered heavy
ambushes and losses near Lake George.
• These defeats, along with others, strengthened the
Iroquois desire to not join the British army.
War!
• In 1756, Britain finally declares war on the French, which
marked the official beginning of the Seven Years War
between the two countries.
• The first official battle in the War resulted in another
French victory when they captured and destroyed Ft.
Oswego in Ontario.
• In 1757, General Louis de Montcalm captured Ft.
William Henry on Lake George.
The Tide Has Turned
• Things finally improved for Britain when William Pitt
was elected as prime minister.
• Pitt chose James Wolfe as one of Britain’s top generals.
• Wolfe was 30 years old upon selection.
• Britain was finally suit for victory.
A Good Start
• In 1758, Britain scored its first of many
victories to come in the War.
• The British captured the fort at
Louisbourg.
Oh, Sweet Revenge
• Later that year, the British took Ft. Duquesne from
the French in a decisive, one-sided battle.
• They soon renamed it to Fort Pitt in honor of
William Pitt.
• The fort is now the sight of present-day Pittsburgh.
It’s The Final Countdown
• The Iroquois were finally convinced to
join the British and became loyal allies.
• This and other victories for the British in
1759 set the stage for the final battle in
Quebec.
Undone
• The British made like the Persians and
used and unguarded trail which allowed
them to climb the cliffs without being
detected.
• The cliffs were initially used to protect
the city of invasion.
CHARGE!!!
• The British soldiers, riding on tons of
momentum, defeated the French in the
battle in front of the city on the plains
of Ontario.
• 4000 British soldiers defeated 4500
French soldiers coming off several losses.
• 2000 total soldiers were killed including
Wolfe and Montcalm.
Aftermath
• The French could no longer afford the land it
claimed by 1763.
• The British claimed all of France’s land and Spanish
Florida.
• The British made a deal with the Spanish by giving
them the land west of the Mississippi River.
• The Natives also lost the land they claimed to the
British.
Map After War:
Objective Answer:
• Battle at Ft. Duquesne (second time):
• British Victory.
• British Rename it Ft. Pitt.
• Battle of Quebec:
• British Victory.
• British use an unguarded trail to defeat the
French and claim Quebec.