Chapter 8: The Clash of Empires
MAIN IDEA: The FRENCH explored America’s great rivers and claimed a huge section of the country’s
interior for FRANCE. They competed for LAND and TRADE RIGHTS with the Spanish and British.
The St. Lawrence: The Heart of NEW FRANCE its Capital QUEBEC.
A. Samuel CHAMPLAIN founded QUEBEC in 1608 along the St. Lawrence River.
B. 50 years later about 2,000 French MEN lived in North America mostly, fur traders, Missionaries and
Government officials because: Ordinary Frenchmen could not own land in NEW FRANCE.
C. By 1660s the French were concerned with Dutch and English competition for FUR.
D. To stop this, the French GOV. encouraged French families to permanently settle in NEW FRANCE.
E. This worked, by 1700s 15,000 French lived in the NEW FRANCE.
F. This would serve as a line of defense against English Expansion.
A Trading Empire:
A. NEW FRANCE based its economy on The FUR TRADE.
B. The French got along well with the Native Americans and learned to live as they did.
C. They lived in the Indian Villages, Married the women, learned the Language.
D. French Missionaries did not force Indians to become Christians.
E. Indians BARTERED FUR and DEERSKINS for: iron pots, steel knives, glass beads, guns.
Reaching the Ohio River:
A. La Salle, looking for the NORTHWEST PASSAGE learns from Indians of a “Great River” to the sea.
B. That Spring La Salle headed down the OHIO RIVER almost to the MISSISSIPPI RIVER, but
stopped because it headed south and could not be the Northwest Passage.
C. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet heard about the “GREAT WATER” and decided to find it.
D. The paddled from Lake Michigan to the Fox River, made a PORTAGE to the Wisconsin River.
E. They then found the MISSISSIPPI R. and took it as far as the ARKANSAS R. before returning home.
F. La Salle learns from Marquette and Joliet, and decides to find the Mouth of the MISS. R.
G. 1677 King Louis XIV (14th ) of France gives him permission to explore the MISS. R.
H. 1679 La Salle crosses the Great Lakes, 1681 He sets out with 23 French colonists and 31 Indians.
I. April 1682, they reach the mouth of the MISS R. and La Salle claims the land of LOUISIANNA.
J. LOUISIANNA he says is from the peaks of the APPALACHIAN Mts. to the peak of the ROCKIES.
A Disastrous Expedition:
A. 1684 La Salle sets out with four ships to settle the MISS. DELTA area but gets lost.
B. He finally realizes his mistake after losing 3 ships and running out of food.
C. He lands near Texas and Indians wreck his ship and he tries to go across land to the MISS R.
D. During the trek his followers become angry with him and KILLED him near the Brazos R. in 1687.
Controlling the Mississippi:
A. The French GOV. orders all trappers and traders out of the wilderness after La Salle’s death.
B. La Salle’s friend want to keep his dream of a permanent settlement at the Delta alive BECAUSE:
a. it could be a base of attack against Spanish Mexico
b. It could be a trading post for furs and minerals
c. it would keep England from controlling the MISS. R.
C. In 1699 FORT BILOXI was built on the GULF COAST.
D. In 1718 The French founded NEW ORLEANS.
E. The French now controlled two main access points into the interior of North America:
a. The St. Lawrence River controlled by QUEBEC and MONTREAL
b. The MISSISSIPPI R. controlled by NEW ORLEANS.
Section 2: Rivalry over Furs and Land
MAIN IDEA: France and Britain, competing for Empire around the world, fought for valuable resources in the
Americas.
Wars over the Fur Trade:
A. France and England both wanted to control the fur trade in the eastern part of N.A.
B. FRANCE was being helped by the ALGONQUIN and HURON Indians around the St. Lawrence.
C. ENGLAND was aided by the LEAGUE of the IROQUOIS; the five nations.
D. The Iroquois defeated the Huron and expanded their fur trade from Maine to the Ohio Valley to Lake
Michigan; trading 1million pounds of Beaver fur a year.
E. The Iroquois expansion threatened the French Fur Trade causing King William’s war in 1689.
F. The French and English also fought in Queen Anne’s war and King George’s War.
G. These wars DID NOT affect the balance of power in N.A. because no one really won but it started
French-sponsored Indian raids on English Settlements.
The League of the Iroquois:
A. The five nations: Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca, came together to end decades of
constant war among these tribes.
B. Also they would be stronger through a union of tribes brining stability to the frontier.
English population growth:
A. by 1750 there were 1 million English in her colonies and only 80,000 French.
B. The British company :THE OHIO CO. OF VIRGINIA began sending LAND SPECULATORS to the
OHIO VALLEY to negotiate with the Indians.
C. The French started building Forts to rim the Ohio Valley and protect their fur trade.
Franklin Urges Union:
A. The British called a meeting with the Iroquois to discuss the boundaries of their “Nation”.
B. Benjamin Franklin believed the colonies had to join for their protection like the Iroquois JOIN or DIE
C. Franklin presented the ALBANY PLAN of UNION in Albany NY. in 1754 it called for:
a. Each colony to send a representative to a “Great Council”
b. The Council would be led by a President-General appointed by the King of England.
c. The Council had the power to make War and Peace with the Indians
d. It had the powers to; raise armies, construct forts, levy taxes, found new settlements.
D. The English Colonies REJECTED the ALBANY PLAN of UNION because:
a. They did not want to give up power to a central government.
b. They did not want to pay taxes for a joint defense.
Section 3: The French and Indian War; AKA: The Seven Years War
MAIN IDEA: The French/English rivalry exploded in the mid 1700s. France eventually lost its North American
Empire to Great Britain.
At the Forks of the OHIO RIVER: April 1754
A. Virginia’s Governor sent a request with a 22 yr. old Colonel, George Washington to the French.
B. The message said the FRENCH were on Virginia’s land and they should “Peacefully Depart”.
C. The FRENCH REFUSED!
D. Washington was then ordered to drive the French out.
E. A Fort was built at the fork of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers which formed the OHIO R.
F. The Virginian’s saw 1,000 French soldiers coming and left the fort and the French took it over
naming it FORT DUQUESNE
The French and Indian War
A. Washington then Built Fort Necessity to help drive out the French.
B. In July 1754 The French attacked Fort Necessity and Washington was forced to flee to Virginia.
C. This was the first battle of the FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
D. This would become a Larger Struggle called the SEVEN YEARS WAR where France and Great
Britain fought in Europe, India and North America.
French and British Advantages:
A. FRENCH ADVANTAGES
BRITISH ADVANTAGES
1. France controlled access to the interior of N.A.
1. A much larger Population
2. New France had a single colonial Government
2. Colonies on coast were easier to defend
3. France used professional soldiers and Navy
3. English colonists were fighting for their
4. The French had the help of their Indian friends
homes and land
B. The Iroquois stopped helping the English because they did not want to be on the losing side.
Braddock’s Defeat:
A. 1755 General Edward Braddock tried again to take Fort Duquesne
B. 250 French soldiers and 600 Indians ambushed Braddock inflicting high CASUALTIES.
C. Braddock was killed and the French won more victories over the next 2 years.
British Victories:
A. 1757 William Pitt becomes PRIME MINISTER of Britain/spends vast amounts of money on the war.
B. Pitt also got the colonies to provide troops and money.
C. In 1758 the British captured Fort Louisbourg on the St. Lawrence and Fort Duquesne now Fort Pitt.
The BATTLE of QUEBEC:
A. QUEBEC was the HEAD and HEART of NEW FRANCE if it fell so would NEW FRANCE.
B. 1759 Commander James Wolfe finally found a way up the steep cliffs to QUEBEC.
C. In the BATTLE of QUEBEC the French Commander MONTCALM and WOLFE both died.
D. But the British won and captured Montreal and now controlled all of NEW FRANCE
E. The Seven Year’s War ended in 1763 with the TREATY of PARIS which stated:
a. France gave Britain all lands EAST of the MISS. R. except New Orleans.
b. Spain who helped France gave Britain Florida, and because of that France gave Spain all of
LOUISIANNA West of the MISS. R.
No Peace After the War for the American Frontier:
A. The British wanted to take Indian lands so they sent Small Pox infected blankets to the Indians.
B. The Ottawa Indian Chief Pontiac gathered several tribes and drove the British out of all Ohio Valley
forts except Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt.
C. Pontiacs warriors killed settlers and burned cabins for 2 more years.