French and Indian War Impact on America

From 1754 to 1763, the French and Indian War raged on. Its affects were not only immediate, but long term.  Even though the American colonies weren’t directly involved in the war, it most greatly affected them. Britain ultimately won the war, but eventually paid the price. After the British victory in the French and Indian war, the political, economic and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies was greatly altered.

            The French and Indian War won by the British had a great economic impact on the American colonies. First, the British won a lot of land in the war and needed to be able to maintain it (Doc A). They decided that the best way to get money back that they invested in the war would be to tax the colonies (OI). They obviously also used it to maintain this newly acquired land. These new, arbitrary taxes severely angered the colonists (OI). The British were adamant about these new duties that they wanted the colonists to pay (Doc A). They said it was basically disrespecting the King if the taxes were neglected. This made the economic relations between Britain and the American colonies very tense as the colonists were upset about new taxes and the British were also upset because the colonies neglected them.

            The political relations between Britain and the American colonies drifted further and further apart due to the French and Indian War.  Colonists in America started to feel like their rights were being taken away. Even though they were born Englishmen and were promised the same rights, they were being denied of an Englishmen’s liberty (Doc D).  The colonists were under martial law and were treated as if they were just ‘regulars’ (Doc D). They felt as if they were having their privacy and rights invaded by the British military and they were being treated by them as if they were just barely better than a common slave (OI).  Another political stress is noted by the Stamp Act that is passed by Parliament after the French and Indian War.  Benjamin Franklin specifically noted that he felt a lack of respect and honor for the American colonies by the passing of the Stamp Act (Doc G). This enraged the colonists and made them rethink their political views. Each political step taken by the British after the French and Indian War draws the Americans closer and closer to revolution.