Transcript CHAPTER 3
SEVEN YEARS WAR
The
Seven Years War was fought in three regions:
Europe, North America and the Caribbean
The North American war began in 1754 over fertile
territory in the Ohio Valley.
The North American war was also called the French
and Indian War
CAUSES
As the Thirteen British colonies became more
populated and prosperous, their citizens began to
look towards the rich lands across the Appalachian
mountains as providing new opportunities for
settlement and economic growth
CAUSES
The French, who claimed the entire watersheds of
the Mississippi and St. Lawrence Rivers—which
included the Great Lakes and the Ohio River
valley—became worried about British
encroachments into this region and so they moved
to set up a series of forts
CAUSES
The British, meanwhile, built their own forts at
Oswego and Halifax, the government granted lands
in the Ohio Valley to the Ohio Company and
adventurous traders set up bases in the region
CAUSES
In 1750, British and French representatives met in
Paris to try to solve these territorial disputes, but no
progress was made
In 1752, the Marquis Duquesne was made
governor-general of New France with specific
instructions to take possession of the Ohio Valley,
removing all British presence from the area
CAUSES
Dinwiddie, hearing of new French forts on the upper
Allegheny River, sent out a young Virginia officer, George
Washington, to deliver a letter demanding that the French
leave the region
This mission was, not surprisingly, a failure, but when
passing through the region where the Allegheny and the
Monongahela form the Ohio, Washington noted that the
point of land at the junction was an excellent spot for a fort
CAUSES
The following year, Duquesne sent troops to western
Pennsylvania where they built forts at Presque Island (Erie)
and on the Rivière aux Boeufs (Waterford)
At the same time, Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant Governor of
Virginia, was granting land in the Ohio Valley to citizens of
his colony, setting in motion the events which inevitably led
to the French and Indian War
CAUSES
In early 1754, in response to Washington's suggestion, the
British started to build a fort there, Fort Prince George, but
French troops soon arrived and threw them out.
The French completed the fortification, renaming it Fort
Duquesne.
Washington, meanwhile, had been sent out with a
contingent of troops to help establish British control in the
west, and when he heard of the surrender of Fort Prince
George, he set up camp in Great Meadows, southeast of
Fort Duquesne.
FRANCE
Blue
ENGLAND
Green
SPAIN
Orange
DESPUTED
TERRITORY
Yellow
CAUSES
Washington received a report that a nearby French
contingent intended to attack, so he launched a
preemptive strike against the French camp
This was the first engagement of the yet undeclared
French & Indian War
Acadians
Acadia was the first permanent French settlement in
North America, established at Port-Royal in 1604
During the seventeenth century, about sixty French
families were established in Acadia. They developed
friendly relations with the aboriginal Mi'kmaq,
learning their hunting and fishing techniques.
Acadians
The Acadians lived mainly in the coastal regions,
farming land reclaimed from the sea through diking.
Living on the frontier between French and British
territories, the Acadians found themselves on the
front lines in each conflict between the powers.
Acadians
Acadia was passed repeatedly from one side to the
other, and the Acadians learned to survive through
an attitude of studied neutrality, refusing to take up
arms for either side, and thus came to be referred to
as the "French neutrals"
Acadians
In the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, France ceded
the portion of Acadia that is now Nova Scotia
(minus Cape Breton Island) to the British for the
last time.
In 1730, the Acadians signed an oath swearing
allegiance to the British Crown, but stipulating
that Acadians would not have to take up arms
against the French or Indians.
Acadians
However, in 1754, the British government, no longer
accepting the neutrality previously granted to the
Acadians, demanded that they take an absolute
oath of allegiance to the British monarch, which
would require taking up arms.
Acadians
The Acadians did not want to take up arms against
family members who were in French territory, and
believed that the oath would compromise their
Roman Catholic faith, and refused. Colonel Charles
Lawrence ordered the mass deportation of the
Acadians.
Acadians
The Seven Years War
Early in the war, the French are successful against
the British army
Their success is contributed to effective use of their
Indian allies
Also, the French model Indian guerilla tactics
The Seven Years War
The French go on the offensive and strike the British
on the frontier of their 13 colonies. The British are
too scared to leave their forts
The French gain the upper hand until the British put
new emphasis on fighting in the North American
frontier (1757)
The Seven Years War
The British devise a four pronged attack against the
French at Montreal, Quebec, Trois Riviers and the
Great Lakes region of the French territory. Four
armies march into New France
Due to colonial prejudice, the Marquois de
Montcalm replaces Canadian-born Governor of New
France, Vaudreuil, as commander of the French
army
The Seven Years War
Under bitter disagreement, Montcalm takes a
defensive approach, opposite of the offensive
minded Vaudreuil
Moncalm does not want to rely on their Indian allies
but rather utilize the fortress of Quebec.
Montcalm believes the guerilla tactics used by the
Indians is unfair and ungentlemanly
Montcalm falls back to Quebec awaiting the British
The Seven Years War
By 1757, the British are putting more emphasis on
the North American frontier than the French. The
French are more concerned with the Caribbean
islands
The British begin using their naval superiority
especially in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
In 1758, the fortress of Louisbourg falls to the British
The Seven Years War
Led by General Braddock, the British continue their 4
pronged attack moving closer to Quebec. The French
forces are falling back
By 1759, the French face a superior British military in North
America. Outnumbered 3:1 in ships; 4:1 in troops; and 10:1
in dollars spent on the war
The French are losing every battle as they retreat to
Quebec. Montcalm is confident the Quebec will hold
The Seven Years War
Quebec was built on the cliffs overlooking the St.
Lawrence with gun emplacements aimed down at
the river
By 1759, the British, lead by General Wolfe, arrive
outside the walls of Quebec but winter is fast
approaching
Wolfe delays because Quebec appears
impenetrable
The Seven Years War
Wolfe learns from a French trader of a secret
passage through a series of caves that leads to the
plains behind the walls of Quebec
The British troops conceal their identity and hide
themselves on ships that are disguised as French
ships. The ships pass the French sentry and oneby-one the British troops go up this passage to the
Plains of Abraham
The Seven Years War
When morning arrives, Montcalm is stunned to see
the British army assembled. Montcalm, believing
that it is cowardly to hide behind the walls of
Quebec, marches his troops outside to engage the
British
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham ensues where
Wolfe and Montcalm are both mortally wounded.
The French are defeated
The Seven Years War
Quebec surrenders in 1759
This British victory should have been the end of the French
presents in North America but it isn't
The British, now under General James Murray contemplate
their next move with winter approaching
Murray believes that the French are not a defeated enemy.
He knows that there is a French army of 7000 troops sitting
in Montreal under commander La Vie
The Seven Years War
Murray has only 4000 tired troops in Quebec and he is
forced to wait out the winter in Quebec - a hostile foreign
city
The St. Lawrence river is frozen not allowing Murray out of
or La Vie into Quebec
All eyes are on Montreal and La Vie but also on the St.
Lawrence. Who will come sailing down the St. Lawrence
once the ice melts? The French fleet means that Murray
will have to surrender because supplies are low. The British
fleet means that Murray will hold Quebec
The Seven Years War
The
winter is harsh and many of Murray's troops die. The
remaining army is demoralized, tired and home-sick
Even before the ice melts, La Vie marches from Montreal
on to Quebec. The French defeat Murray and recapture
Quebec
In spring however, the British fleet comes sailing down the
St. Lawrence and they capture Quebec for a second time
New France surrenders with the arrival of the British fleet in
1760
The Seven Years War
Now the British hold the entire colony and the
French have nothing. North America becomes
British North America BNA
The Seven Years War does not end in 1760. The
war still rages in Europe but finally ends in 1763 with
a British victory
The Treat of Paris follows
Reasons for Quebec’s Defeat
The colony of New France was only accessible by
the St. Lawrence – a route easily blockaded
The economy of New France did not encourage
population growth
The size of the colony was difficult to defend
Reasons for Quebec’s Defeat
Internal dissention with Montcalm’s leadership
The military strategy for the defense of New France
was flawed
The power and skill of the British Navy was
overwhelming