French and Indian War Resource Page

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French and Indian War Project Page

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• Seven Years War in Europe

... ... ... ... served during the French and Indian War.

This war was one of the last American colonial wars of the colonies.

Introduction

North America after 1748

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The French and Indian War (also called the Seven Years War) which lasted from 1754 - 1763. This American colonial extension, was considered one of the bloodiest American wars in the 18th century.

Since this war covered three continents, the war claimed more lives than the American Revolution. Both The French and the British became involved and pulled into the war the new settlements of North America. Both sides made use of the American Indians who were living in North of America. Reason for this war seems to be colonial territory and expectations of wealth.

Causes:

1) the British wanted control of the land for expansion and raising tobacco.

2) the French wanted to control the fur trade in North America.

3) Native Americans were afraid the British would take over their land.

English and French merchants traded with the American Indians of the Ohio Country. This was known at the time as the Northwest Territory, which was also called the Ohio Country. England and France desired more land to claim for their respective countries. More Colonies meant more Colonists to come to America to settle. This benefited the investors of the Ohio Company. More Colonies would eventually become productive farms rather than wilderness.

England and France tried to block access to each other in this region west of the Allegany Mountains (Ohio Country). The French soldiers captured English trading posts in the early to mid 1750's. They also built Fort Duquesne (what is known today as Pittsburgh), to defend their territory from English trappers, and colonists.

• 1754, 22-year-old George Washington and Virginia militia men ambushed a French patrol in the Ohio Country. Their intent was to drive the French from the region and capture Fort Duquesne. However the troops there were too strong, Washington had to retreat. His militia men built Fort Necessity to use to counteract against the French. Then some French soldiers with their Ohio Country American Indian allies attacked and defeated Washington's Fort Necessity on July 3, 1754.-- the beginning of of the French and Indian War in the New World. The French permitted Washington and his men to return to Virginia in safety. Washington and the Virginians had to agree not to try to build another fort west of the Appalachian Mountains for at least one year.

Commanders

Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst

Great Britian

British America

Iroquois Confederacy

Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst was the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Under his command British forces captured the cities of Louisbourg, Quebec City and Montreal, as well as several major fortresses

Brigadier General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm

France

New France

Brigidier General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm was the commander of the forces in North America who was sent to New France to lead its defense against the British

July 3, 1754.-- the beginning of of the French and Indian War in the New World.

First engagement.

• England declared war in 1756.

Battles:

• Combatants: British and Americans against the French and Canadians.

• Generals: General Amherst commanded the British and American force with Brigadier James Wolfe as one of his subordinate commanders. Chevalier de Drucour commanded the French and Canadians.

Size of the armies: 11,000 British regular troops and 200 American Rangers. The French garrison was around 6,000.

EVENTS

1753 - French troops came from Canada, seized, fortified the Ohio Valley as possession. Build Fort Duquesne. Britain protests the invasion and claims Ohio for itself.

July 3, 1754.-- beginning of French and Indian War,

1754 Ensign de Jumonville, escort killed by British patrol led by George Washington. French, Indians defeat British at new fort Necessity ( built by Washington and Virginia militia) Washington surrenders after losing one-third of his force.

Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness- Monongahela River at the forks with the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers near modern Pittsburgh (Fort Pitt).

Combatants: approximately 1,500 British and American troops (of Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina) against (300 to 600) Indians (Ottawas, Miamis, Hurons, Delawares [Lenni Lenape], Shawnees and Mingoes [Iroquois]) and 30 French colonial troops.

British Forces: 30 Sailors from the Royal Navy under Lt Spendelowe

Sir Peter Halkett’s 44th Foot, Colonel Robert Dunbar’s 48th Foot

Captain Rutherford’s New York Company

Captain Horatio Gate’s New York Company

Captain Delamere’s South Carolina Company

1755 British defeated at Ft. Duquesne - (present-day Pittsburgh, PN - Gen. Braddock + 1450 men, defeated by Indian & French-Canadian force

1755 British implement a plan to defeat the French. Fort Beausejour captured, troops under Major General Edward Braddock defeated in the Battle of the Monongahela. French advance at Lake George is stopped.

June 16, 1755 - British assault on Acadia on 16 June 1755 in the Battle of Fort Beauséjour.

April 18, 1756, Col. Washington's Virginia Regiment stumbled into an ambush of French and Indians in a raid. Seventeen men were killed. Virginia's Burgesses were stunned. The battle was near Fort Edwards, Virginia (now West Virginia).s in Williamsburg.

1756 French take Ft. Oswego - Upstate New York --French commander Montcalm takes fort, his Indian allies kill wounded soldiers, take scalps, and make slaves of captives.

1756 - Battle of Fort Bull – French capture British fort.

1757 American forces refuse to serve under British - Lord Loudoun micromanages.

Aug 4-9, 1757 - French and Montcalm capture Fort William Henry in Siege of Fort William Henry. British defeated by French then Indians slaughter prisoners.. Montcalm’s actions angers his Indian allies who capture and kill hundreds of unarmed British.

Ft. William Henry.

1757 Massacre at Ft. William Henry - Upstate New York- surrender of British & colonial garrison to Montcalm -promised safe passage back to England), Indians kill 185, 310 captives

1757 -1761- William Pitt guides British war effort - in London. Secretary of State, Pitt (to reduce tension with colonists promised payment to support the effort, gives colonial assemblies control of recruitment. Sends 1000's more British soldiers,. Replaces Lord Loudoun

William Pitt, elder

1757 - British take control at the Forks of the Ohio,

British burning of the warship Prudent and capturing of the warship Bienfaisant during the siege of Louisbourg.

Blockade of Louisbourg.

1758 - Louisbourg and Ft. Duquesne captured by British - Quebec & W Pennsylvania - British-American-Indian forces overwhelm French who abandon Louisbourg and burn Ft. Duquesne before retreating north. Realizing they cannot hold fort, French abandoned in Nov.

July 6, 1758 - Battle of Bernetz Brook, – Carillon campaign, the British engage isolated party of Frenchmen.

July 8, 1758 - Battle of Carillon – also called Battle of Ticonderoga. The superior British force attacked French forces head on. Result Injuries.

1759 - Battle of Quebec - huge fight between French forces and British forces. Gen. Wolfe killed and French commander Montcalm killed.

Montcalm killed in 1759.

1759 - Battle of Ticonderoga or Battle of Carillon– British capture French fort.

1759 - French surrender Quebec after a large battle with British outside the city on the Plains of Abraham.

July 6--26, 1759 - Battle of Fort Niagara (6 July – 26) – British take fort, but Brigadier General John Prideaux is killed.

July 31, 1759 - Battle of Beauport – French thwart the British attempt to land near Quebec city; there were batteries fired (4000 rounds in 8 hours) by navy bombardment of British ships and batteries upon French at the coast line.

1759 - Battle of Quiberon Bay - the English fleet arrived at Quebec in the spring, yet French fleet did not. This became the coup de grace to French interests. British victory restricted French navy's ability to resupply forces in Canada.

Quiberon Bay.

1760 - Iriquois join British-American alliance - Balance of power tips towards British with this addition

1760 - French surrender Montreal - Greatly outnumbered French forces are defeated in war's final battle in the Americas. Three British armies converge on Montreal which results in Defeat of Canada, New France.

1762 - Spain enters the war as a French ally, defeated by British naval forces.

1763 - Treaty of Paris: Paris, France - France gives up claims to all of its North American possessions. All land west of the Mississippi and New Orleans goes to Spain. All land east of the Mississippi River and Canada goes to England.

Before and after French Indian War.

Land ceded to Britain.

NOTE: It should be observed that 70% of references for this war about the Ohio country are listed as French and Indian War. Another 30% references are for the Seven Years War which are about the wars between Great Britain and allies against France and allies occurring in Europe.

Sources:

• Vagen Web.org - George Chapter 1
• List of vets and French and Indian War Vets
• The War that made America - Timeline
• Wikipedia - Battle of Fort Niagara
• Ohio History central.org - Fort Necessity
• History State.gov - French Indian War
• History State.gov - Treaty of Paris
• "The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War by Fred Anderson.
• blankenburg2012.wikispaces.com - French and Indian War
• www.feldmeth.net
• British Battles.com
• Wikipedia - Iroquois
• Battle of the Monongahela
• Mount Veron.org
• Vagen Webb.org
• Virginia forts
• Battle of Plains of Abraham
• French and Indian War
• http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1175.html
• http://www.fwhmuseum.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_William_Henry
• "La guerre de la conquête 1754-1760 by Guy Frégault, Ed Fides ISBN 978-2-7621-2989-2 In FRENCH. This masterly piece of research covers what is known in French Canada as the war of conquest, Guy Frégault combed not only through official dispatches etc, but also through newspaper articles on both sides of the conflict, in England, The US colonies and France. Extensively sourced, well written, for anyone who reads French and wants to understand more about this war, a must read. Liard-1