(This was also called the French and Indian War)
-Origins
-Albany Congress
-Early French Victories
-The Tide Turns
-Peace Settlement
-Provincial Soldiers
-Tensions
Origins:
Unlike other wars that started in Europe and spilled over into other colonies, The Seven Years War started in the colonies and spilled over into other countries. The war started over conflicting claims about land that was each claimed by other countries. The French, at this time, have a very small population through North America, and very few have settled in Canada. Because of this factor, the French used Indians to help them hold onto claimed territory. The English are interested in expanding westward and so they send a group from the Ohio Company to the land area of the Ohio River Valley. Their goal was to make a profit on this land by having Virgina claim this area per a charter, then the Company gets the land grant. The land would then be given for free to the first settlers who go there. The first settlers would do the work of cultivating and settling the land for the Company (for free), thus the land becomes more valuable. But, before any of this can happen the Ohio Company must deal with the Indians title to the land. In 1744, the Treaty of Lancaster was signed between the Iroquois and Virginia. The Iroquois no longer live in the Ohio River Valley and technically have no right to sell the land, but Virgina wants a claim on the land, even if it is technically a null and void claim.
In order to get the land turned over to them by more 'legitimate' means, the Ohio Company sends out traders who pay better prices and sell better goods to the Indians than the French. This helps to establish Indian trade in the Ohio River valley between the English and the Indians. The English then trot out their tried and true practice of cheating, they used this tact in numerous other areas of the world to gain land as well, by slowly cheating the Indians on their goods. They would sell them inferior goods for higher prices, or tell them that they were out of a good for the season, forcing the Indians to borrow from the 'next' seasons account. Eventually the Indians would rack up such a debt that the only thing of value they had left was their land, which they would be forced to sell in order to alleviate their debt.
In the midst of all this the Miami Indians switch their allegiance from the French to the British, so in 1752 the French send troops to the interior to attack a Miami town aligned with the British. Miami-ans immediately switch back their allegiance and send support to help the French hold their land. Robert Dinwiddie, a shareholder of the Ohio Company, decides the French need to be ousted from the land altogether. He sends for George Washington and sends him to the French with a message to get out of British land. In 1753 Washington gets to the French, who says they are not leaving, and so an expedition is sent back to build a fort and force out the French. Washington builds Fort Necessity, which he builds on the bottom of the hill in a valley, and it is too small! They also failed to clear out the brush within musket range so the French walk right up and are able to fire on the British troops. 30 are killed and Washington surrenders, and the French quickly capture the fort and build Fort Duquesne. Dinwiddie is not happy about this new development.
Albany Congress and Early French Victories:
In 1754 the delegates from 7 colonies get together in Albany to form a common policy for dealing with the French, and they called this the Albany Congress. It was meant to establish a joint defense, and so they met with the Iroquois representatives to try and form an alliance as well. Benjamin Franklin, who is a delegate, proposes a Plan of Union, a sort of super legislature, and this organization would be responsible for defense and Indian policy. The colonies soon started fighting amongst themselves about the new legislature (they were concerned that the legislature would then have too much power), and the Congress gets no where. Dinwiddie appeals to the British government, he tells them that the French have attacked them, and in 1755 the British send reinforcements. Edward Braddock is sent over from England and is in charge of the movement with the King's troops. The Indians soon offer him an alliance, but he insults them by calling them savages and says that he would never work with them, so they then join with the French. Franklin comes in and warns Braddock that he can not fight the Indians, or the French, in traditional British style. The normal standard of warfare was that English troops all marched in a line, weapons drawn, toward the opposition. The Indians do not fight this way, and as a result most French and colonist troops fight in wilderness mode. Unfortunately, Braddock ignores Franklin's advice and starts off toward Fort Duquesne with his troops. The French decide to attack, and while using Indians and Canadians for support, they attack them in the road, first trying to fight one on one. They soon get beat back and quickly divert to wilderness mode, and start fighting and shooting from the cover of the woods on either side of the road. The British troops take a large beating, Braddock gets wounded in the crossfire (he later dies), and the troops turn tail and run. After the victory the French then start to move on the colonies.
In 1756, Prussia and Austria go to war in Europe. Prussia is allied with Britain, and Austria is allied with France, which soon brings them into the colonial war. Lord Loudoun is now sent to the colonies as the new Commander-in-Chief, and he brings troops with him in order to move on the plan to advance up the Hudson River to Fort Carillon (aka Ticonderoga). If they can take this Fort it will give the British a natural water route to the heart of the French Canadian defense, but it works both ways, their advancement up the river leaves them open to attack from the French. However, before they can get started Lord Loudoun has a problem. Being from England, and being a Lord, he is used to getting his way and what he wants. He is very demanding of the colonies, and he puts quotas on them for troops and supplies. The legislators are not happy to be treated this way, and they are not used to being forced into decisions, so they send his demands to a 'committee' who will decide their course of action. Of course, this is just a strategy for the colonies to be defiant in following orders. The French also appoint a new Commander, Marquis De Montcalm, who wants to fight British warfare. He moves on Fort William Henry, which is manned by the British, and bombards it into submission. The treaty terms written were that the French won, and that the British could go home, weapons and all. This was not a smart move on Montcalm's part, especially considering his treatment of the Indians, because it just allowed the British to go home and regroup. Traditionally when the Indians fight in an alliance they are treated to part of the spoils, but Montcalm gives them nothing. The Indians are not pleased, so they just decide to take something, and they decide on the British prisoners of war. Montcalm tells them off and the Indians decide to leave, which means that the French no longer have their allies. Unfortunately for the Indians the prisoners had small pox, so the majority of them die before they can be made useful.
The Tide Turns:
Instead of pressing on to Albany, Montcalm retreats which leaves the door open for the British. The British are now angry at the Indians for taking their people so they send tons of troops, and the King now appoints William Pitt to be the new Commander-in-Chief. After shifting troops in Prussia, the British send over another 23,000 troops to America. Pitt fires Loudoun, then he tells the Colonies that the will pay them for fighting. He also appoints a new commander for the army using lower officers with experience and qualifications instead of nobles that can't fight. All these changes are made for the 1758 campaign, which was a new 3 prong defensive movement:
1. The key target is the Fortress of Louishourg which blocks a major waterway (the St. Lawrence), and the Fort is in poor condition so it would not be hard to defeat.
2. They also want to attack Fort Carillon
3. Lastly, they are going to lead an expedition against Fort Duquesne and force the French to evacuate
After all these are are accomplished it is time for the final assault on Quebec in 1759. James Wolfe is a military person that Pitt handpicked, but he can't quite get to Quebec because it is so heavily protected (there was a massive wall around it). But, the weather is getting colder and they can't stay in the water because the wooden boats would be destroyed, so Wolfe decides to go by land. Instead of waiting for winter, which would have forced the British to leave, or waiting for troops to come home and attack the British from the back, Montcalm decides to come out of the fortified wall. He uses lots of Canadian militia which are used to Indian warfare, so when they are attacked the abandon the French line and Montcalm loses and is forced back to Quebec where he surrenders. In 1763 the Treaty of Paris is negotiated with the French, and France cedes all of its land in North America (except Louisiana, whom they then give back to Spain) and Spain gives Florida to Britain in order to get Cuba back. The most important consequence of the Seven Years War is that Britain is now the dominant power in North America, with no real threat to them.
Provincial Soldiers:
This war drew in thousands of colonists called Provincial Troops which were broken into two groups. The first group was Militia, which was anyone able to hold and fire a weapon, young or old. These were true citizen soldiers, appointed and commanded by town commanders, they served short terms, and were basically a home defense force. The second group were the Provincial regulars, who were the people enlisted in a regiment for their colony for at least a year. They were usually a recruit from the militia and the colonies were selective. For example if the only blacksmith in town volunteered to be a soldier then they would be tuned down. They were also paid enlistment bonuses, one among many of the incentives to be a soldier. There was also a financial incentives since the troops were fed and clothed for a year. Officers were usually prominent men in the colony, and if they couldn't get enough volunteers then they would draft. If you were drafted you could get out of serving by hiring someone to go in your place. Many men would use this as a lucrative opportunity, and instead of volunteering on their own they would wait until someone offered to pay for the enlistment. The soldier then stood to gain not only an enlistment bonus, but a pay for service as well.
Tensions:
Tensions were present among the many troops because the Provincials did not get along well with the British troops. British officers did not trust Provincial officers and didn't want to take orders from them. When a victory was won, the British officers often wrote the reports favoring the British and blaming the Provincials for any losses. Furthering tensions between troops was the different methods among the officers. The British were harsh, and had tough discipline even over the little things while the Provincials were easier since they were often neighbors. There were also huge moral differences since the British liked to drink and often had prostitutes with them, which the Provincials viewed as immoral. Tensions were so high that they finally had to resort to having guards between the two groups in encampments. Impressment Laws were passed saying that the the British can impress people of any colony for service in replacement of theirs, and they often took people at gunpoint. The Colonists would fight back, often deserting the town when they would hear that the British ships were coming in. Suffice it to say that the relationship between the Colonists and the British was not as harmonious as everyone thought it was from 300 miles away.
*Taken from notes during lecture: Dr. Jim Piecuch, Kennesaw State University
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