PERIOD 3

⎸1754-1800

TOPIC
3.2:
THE SEVEN
(1) CAUSES—COLONIAL
RIVALRIES:
Historic European rivalries, particularly between Great Britain,
France, and Spain, had extended from Europe to their
colonies in the Americas.
A pivotal war in a series of European wars in the first half of the 18th century was the
Seven Years’ War (also known as the French & Indian War).

This was a war fought between 1754 and 1763 between the two sides: the French,
their colonists, and Native American allies vs. the British, their colonists, and Native
American allies.
 At the root of this conflict was control over disputed territory.

Ultimately, the British, their colonists, and their allies proved victorious.
 By the close of the 17th century,
the French controlled virtually the
entire interior of North America.

Yet, only 60,000 settlers lived in

this territory, working in the
lucrative fur trade.
 With such a sparse population, they
founded a string of widely separated
forts to secure their hold on these
enormous claims.

In particular, the French constructed

forts in the disputed territory of the
Ohio River Valley in order to halt the
westward growth of the British
colonies.
Hoping to impede French progress,
the governor of Virginia sent a
militia under the command of
young colonel named George
Washington.
Fighting broke out in the Battle of Fort Necessity, and Washington was forced to
surrender on July 3, 1754 after losing 31 of his men.
The French and Indian War had begun.
Short Answer Question (2-3 sentences but do not exceed 5)

Briefly describe ONE historical factor

(A)
that caused the French and Indian War

Please take two minutes to answer the question above. You may share your
thinking with your table groups.
(2) THE WAR:
At first, the war went badly for the British, with their troops suffering defeat after
defeat.
 Importantly, recognizing the need for coordinating colonial defense, the British
government called for representatives from several colonies to meet at a congress in
Albany, New York in 1754.
At this Albany Congress, the delegates from seven colonies
adopted an agreement—the Albany Plan of Union—
developed by Benjamin Franklin.
 This Albany Plan of Union provided
for an intercolonial government and
a system for recruiting troops and
collecting taxes from the colonies for
their common defense.
 However, the colonies ultimately rejected the plan as they were concerned about
preserving their own taxation powers.

Nevertheless, this failed plan represented one of multiple early attempts to form a
union of the colonies under one government, setting a precedent for unity during the
American Revolution.
Gradually, the tide of war turned in favor of the British in the late 1750s & early 1760s.

By 1763, the French agreed to a peace treaty known as the 1763 Treaty of Paris.
In this treaty, [1] Great
Britain acquired French
Canada and Spanish
Florida, and [2] Spain
was given the French
Louisiana Territory.

Thus, French power on

the continent all but
ended.
Short Answer Question (2-3 sentences but do not exceed 5)

Briefly describe the intended purpose of

(B)
the Albany Plan and its outcome

Please take two minutes to answer the question above. You may share your
thinking with your table groups.
(3) IMPACTS of the WAR:
Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War was a turning point in the British extension of
control of North America.

First, as a result of the war, Great Britain established unchallenged supremacy among
Europeans in North America.
Second, the mutual victory among the British and their colonies ironically sharpened
tensions between the two.
From the British perspective by the close From the colonists’ perspective, the British
of the war, the colonists were inept troops and leadership proved inadequate
militarily and selfish, since some colonies in navigating the wooded terrain of
refused to contribute troops or money to America; instead, they were proud of their
the war. own contribution to the war effort.
Third, the British abandoned the period of salutary neglect, instead attempting to
exercise more direct control over the colonies.

This was in part because the war was costly, doubling the crown’s debt.
By ending salutary neglect, the
British hoped to make the
American colonies bear more
of the cost of maintaining the
British empire.
 Lastly, the war sparked conflict with Native Americans, whose autonomy was
challenged by growing settlements on the western frontier in newly gained territory.

With access to new lands, many colonists on the frontier began immediately to move
over the mountains and into tribal lands.
In Pontiac’s Rebellion, an alliance of tribes under Chief Pontiac struck back, destroying
forts and settlements from New York to Virginia.
 Rather than relying on colonial
forces, the British sent British
troops to put down the uprising.
 To protect British
colonists from further
Native American attacks,
King George III signed
the Proclamation of
1763.
Meant to stabilize the western frontier, this prohibited American colonists from settling
west of the Appalachian Mountains, in Native American lands.
Colonists were incensed by
this interference, viewing it
as punishment.
Thousands simply ignored
this order.
 Exit Ticket
Free Response Question (4-5 sentences or more)

Explain how the impact of the French

and Indian War affected the British-
Colonial relationship.
(must provide at least TWO pieces of evidence)

Please take two minutes to answer the question above. You may share your
thinking with your table groups.
 KEY
TAKEAWA
[1] Colonial rivalry intensified between Britain and France in the mid-18th century, as
the growing population of the British colonies expanded into the interior of North
America, threatening French-Indian trade networks and American Indian autonomy.
[2] Britain achieved a major expansion of its territorial holdings by defeating the
French, but at tremendous expense, setting the stage for imperial efforts to raise
revenue and consolidate control over the colonies.
 [3] After the British
victory, imperial
officials’ attempts to
prevent colonists from
moving westward
generated colonial
opposition, while
native groups sought to
both continue trading
with Europeans and
resist the
encroachments of
colonists on tribal
lands.