The British vs. The French in America
French
 Catholic
 Few Permanent
settlements
 Main Economic
Activity: fur
trade
 Preferred by
Natives – many
native Allies
British
 Protestant
 Growing  Many Permanent
Rich from settlements & large
America
towns
 World
Main Economic
Empires
activity: farming
 Wealthy
 Enemies Few native allies
ON THE EVE OF WAR…

French:
 Afraid of losing Fur
Trade region of Ohio
Country
 Covet the region of
the upper Ohio River
Valley
 Build forts in the
Region (Ex. Ft. Le
Boeuf near Erie)

British:
 Colonies are growing in
population and need
more land!
 Begin pushing westward.
 Covet the Ohio country for
expansion.
 A young man named
George Washington is
sent from Virginia to scout
out region and expel the
French…
BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE FRENCH & INDIAN WAR
Dates: 1754 to 1763 (#1)
 Location: Quebec, Northeastern
Coast and Great Lakes region
(Western Pennsylvania!)
 French and Algonquin tribes
vs. British, American Colonists
and Iroquois Confederacy
 Expanded into Europe as the
Seven Years War (#2)
(1756–1763)
 British Victory:
Treaty of Paris-1763
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GEORGE WASHINGTON DELIVERS A MESSAGE!
DEC. 11, 1753
Washington and
Christopher Gist are sent
to deliver a message to
the French.
They travel from VA to Ft.
Le Boeuf (near Lake Erie).
The message tells the
French that the British
claim the land known as
the “Ohio Country” (west
of the Appalachian Mtns.)
The French claim the land
is theirs!
WASHINGTON AND GIST NEARLY DROWN!

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…While crossing the
Allegheny River on a raft.
…Managed to make it to a
small island in the river.
By morning, they were
able to cross over the
frozen river to safety.
G.W.‘s life is spared - #1
….AT FT. LEBEOUF
WASHINGTON STARTS THE F & I WAR! – MAY
28, 1754
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G.W. and VA militia
(citizen soldiers) are
assigned to build a fort
at the “forks of the Ohio”
Larger French force
overtakes it during
construction and names
it Ft. Duquesne(#6).
Washington and his men
leave to return to VA with
the information.
THE SPARK…
When Washington returns to
Western PA to help finish the
fort, the British come upon a
French camp…

Battle of Jumonville Glen (#3)
 May
28, 1754
 Ultimately triggers French & Indian War
 Lt. George Washington and 40 soldiers ambush
French militia led by Ensign de Jumonville in early AM
 Jumonville killed in battle (assassinated by the Indian
leader “The Half King”), an act which starts the war
WASHINGTON SURRENDERS AT THE
‘GREAT MEADOWS’ - JULY 3 - 4, 1754
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G.W. and his militia hastily
built a stockade for
protection from the French
& Indians –
called (# 4) Ft. Necessity.
A strong storm wet their
powder and flooded the fort.
(#5)G. Washington and his
men were captured.
THE VIRGINIANS MUST SIGN AN AGREEMENT
PROMISING TO STAY OUT OF THE AREA FOR 1 YR.
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The document was written
in French (G.W. could not
read French).
He and his men were
permitted to march out
since France and GB were
not officially at war.
By signing the paper, G.W.
unknowingly admitted to
assassinating the French
leader Jumonville…

G.W.’s life is spared - #2
BRITISH GEN. BRADDOCK ARRIVES TO CAPTURE FT. DUQUESNE

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Braddock with 2,600
British soldiers march
toward (#7)Ft. Duquesne,
attempting to capture it.
They make a road from VA
to the OH Country.
After crossing the Mon.
river, they march on at
Turtle Creek (near
Kennywood Park today).
The march in order while
playing drums!
FRENCH & INDIANS AMBUSH THE BRITISH – JULY 9, 1755
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G.Washington, acting as a
(#8) guide and advisor
(Aide-de-Camp) for the
British, warns Braddock
that the French & Indians
will use (#10)‘guerilla
tactics’ in battle (ambush shoot from cover then
move to new spots).
Braddock does not heed
G.W’s warning’
1000 British are killed
along with Gen.Braddock
Regular forces (French and British)
use European tactics (#11):
-Soldiers form parallel lines and
face off at 100 yards or less
-Several volleys of musket fire
precede a bayonet charge
 Battle
 July
of the Monongahela
9, 1755
 Tough terrain
 French defenders
prepare an ambush
 Braddock fatally
wounded (#9)
 George Washington
becomes a hero
 French inflict defeat on British
FRENCH IN FULL CONTROL OF THE OHIO COUNTRY
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Washington helped the British
retreat while carrying the
mortally wounded Braddock.
G.W. had bullets go through
his coat and horses shot from
under him – his life is spared
again! - #3.
Braddock is buried under the
road in the mountains (1 mile
west of Fort Necessity)
WILLIAM PITT NAMED SECRETARY OF STATE IN
BRITAIN (SOON BECOMES PRIME MINISTER)
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William Pitt (#12)takes over
wartime operations and plans
a new campaign to defeat the
French in the OH Country.
This is seen as the turning
point of the war.
In 1757, he gives command to
Gen. Forbes along with 2000
British troops.
Forbes cuts a road across PA to
take Ft. Duquesne.
Ft. Ligonier
(Loyalhannah)
FT. LIGONIER ATTACKED BY FRENCH & INDIANS
– OCT. 12, 1758
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About 50 miles from Ft.
Duquesne, this fort was
Forbes’ advance base
for their march to
capture the French fort.
French & Indians stage
an attack on Ft. Ligonier
to make the British
think they are a
powerful force.
G.W. stops a ‘friendly
fire’ incident – saved #4
GEN. FORBES AND COL. WASHINGTON DECIDE
TO MARCH ON TO FT. DUQUESNE
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The ‘trick’ fails when a
prisoner from Ft.
Duquesne informs the
British that the French
have very few men and
few Indian allies at this
time.
With weather conditions
deteriorating, they begin
the final assault on Ft.
Duquesne.
FT. DUQUESNE FALLS – NOV. 25.1758
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Camped a few miles away,
the British hear explosions
and learn that the French
blew up parts of their fort
and (#13) abandoned it.
The British allow it to burn
down and later begin
constructing (#14)Ft. Pitt,
after William Pitt.
British are now in control of
the OH Country.
END OF THE LINE FOR THE FRENCH…
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With loss of (#15) Quebec (1759), New France
is practically finished
French Navy in
Europe defeated
at Quiberon Bay,
cannot send help
British blockade
Montreal
Only a matter of time
before French are finished off.
THE TREATY OF PARIS

February 10, 1763
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Signed by Great Britain, France,
and Spain, with Portugal
in agreement
France loses New France and
all claims to the territory east of
the Mississippi River
Spain ceded Florida to British,
but later gets New Orleans and
Louisiana from France
France retained islands


Saint Pierre
Miquelon
BUSHY RUN – AUG.5-6,1763
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British Colonel Henry
Bouquet returns to the
OH Country with British
troops to stop Indian
raids on settlers near Ft.
Pitt.
He marches across PA
using Forbes’ Road
(today’s Rt. 30).
The battle took place at
Bushy Run (near today’s
Greensburg).
AFTERMATH OF WAR

England now largest
colonial empire in the world

The Colonists are
independence minded
under British rule

North America most
prosperous area on earth

The French still continue to
inhabit areas around
Quebec and Montreal
CONCLUSION
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The war gave control of
North America to British
Colonial officers fought
in the Revolutionary War
France and Spain cede
control to England and never
regain former possessions
Legacy of French colonialism
lives on today in Frenchspeaking Quebec
Eastern Native American tribes suffered greatly
and continued rapid decline…