French and Indian War

The French and Indian war was a war fought between Britain’s colonies, the Indians, and the French in America, which lasted for seven years, and had a deep impact on the colonies when it was over. Before the war was over (pre-1763) France had conquered and owned much of present-day Canada, as well as the area between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains. This was a large part of land which Britain wanted as more colonies to profit from, as well as to have a larger empire, and more world dominance. When Britain (Indians) won the seven year war in 1763, much turmoil came about between the colonies and the mother country (Britain). The French and Indian War (1754-63) altered relations between Britain and the American Colonies politically in the size of the empire, economically in the taxes that Parliament decided to pass, and ideologically in freedoms. (O.I.)

            Britain and Colonial relations before and during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) politically were not stable. For example, before the war even started, Indians were complaining how new settlers would take land that was rightfully the Indians and in turn get nothing for the land. All they got from the settlers was occasional goods that were soon worn out and gone, which was of no value compared to the land that they were losing (Doc 2). All of the land that settlers were taking was originally Indians’ land, and Britain did not care about the Indians, all they cared about was profit from the land that was being conquered. This started the profit-hungry British’s moves to only want profit from America, and not care about it being colonized (O.I.). Another example of bad political relations between the two during the war is that Britain denied the soldier’s of their Englishmen’s liberty and rights. The soldier’s thought of themselves as slaves to the British officials, and even though their time of service had expired, they were not allowed to go home. When expected to do something in war, the soldiers were confused since they didn’t think they were needed to fight since their time expired, but were forced to by the British. Their liberty was taken away since they could not get liquors or clothes during the winter, being forced by the British to continue fighting (Doc 4). Thus, political relations between the American colonies and Britain were poor before and during the French and Indian War.