French and Indian War Essay

The French and Indian War, taking place between 1754 and 1763, was a pivotal turning point for the colonies and the relations between Britain and its American colonies. The French and Indian War provided a basis for change on political, economic, and ideological terms. The British victory solidified England’s role as the world’s great commercial nation and its control of settled regions in North America. However, this power came with consequences for Britain. Although urgency to revolt had not yet been instilled among the colonists, political ties between Britain and the British colonies were weakened, economic status in the colonies was decreased with conflict, and ideological relations between the colonies and Natives were damaged.
Although urgency to revolt had not yet been instilled among the colonists, political ties between Britain, the British colonies, and other social groups had been weakened by the French and Indian War. British ties with the British colonies were weakened by the superior attitude of the British toward colonists. This attitude is shown after George Washington’s letter expressing his desire to be a volunteer in the war efforts is rejected by British officer General Braddock. Washington’s experience and desire prove to be genuine but because of his status as a colonist, is cast aside. Another military example of political tension between Britain and the colonies is expressed in a letter written by a Massachusetts soldier during the war in 1759. The soldier expresses how he is treated differently for being a colonist although he clearly states he is “English born” and is denied such Englishmen’s liberty. These restricted liberties even go so far as to keep them enlisted in the military even after their enlistment period is ended. The British began to notice the political strain and addressed this matter in a British Order in Council in 1763. This order addressed the “national course” the colonies were diverting from and the effort needed to maintain the British colonies. This effort would need to be applied through politics in British leadership but also economically with funds to aid the colonies.
Although an urgency to revolt had not yet been instilled among the colonists, economic status in the colonies decreased with increasing conflict. The French and Indian War caused a stifling amount of debt expected to be settled through taxation of the colonists. Analyzing a map of North America after the French and Indian War, the British gained control over the French territory gaining land for the British but severely crippling economic status. The necessity of stationing British troops on the Indian border after 1763 added to the cost of defending settlements contributing to the Britain’s staggering war debt. The struggling economy could not afford to expand onto this new territory. A newspaper masthead printed in October of 1765 shows the “dollar-less” times in which the colonies felt restricted to liberties as well. A place for a stamp required by the Stamp Act shows the British attempt to settle debt but also the seemingly unfair taxation of the colonists. Some

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The French And Indian War

The French And Indian War

The French And Indian War