From Eric Foner's "Give Me Liberty!" (Seagull 5th Ed., Vol 1)

This lecture is on the topic, Battle for the Continent, and the focus question here is, what was the impact of the 7 Years War on Imperial and Indian-White relations?

The western frontier of British America, particularly the Ohio Valley, was a battleground that saw nearly constant conflict between France, Britain, and their Indian allies, mostly tribes that had been pushed there by European settlement.

On this middle ground between European empires and Indian sovereignty, Indians from various tribes lived together alongside European traders and missionaries.

Indians of the Ohio Valley both learned to play the British and French off each other in a dangerous diplomatic game, and were victims of their European and Indian enemies in the cultural changes they wrought.

In 1749, as white settlers began moving into the Ohio Valley, Virginia awarded an immense grant of land there to the Ohio Company, who could sell the land to settlers.

The grant threatened the valley's Indians and caused the French to reinforce their presence.

The Ohio Company's demand for French recognition of its land claims inaugurated the 7 Years War, known in the colonies as the French and Indian War.

The British had fought its rivals France and Spain in 3 inconclusive wars earlier in the 18th century and to finance these wars, Britain's public expenditures, taxes and national debt had greatly increased, inspiring discontent at home and in the colonies.

The 7 Years War saw fighting among these global empires across the entire globe in what was truly a first world War.

It started in 1754 with British efforts to dislodge the French from its forts in western Pennsylvania guarding the Ohio Valley.

When a small force of soldiers led by George Washington entered the area, conflict ensued.

For the first 2 years of the war, French and Indian forces successfully attacked the frontiers of the British colonies in North America.

Only in 1757, under Prime Minister Pitt's leadership, did the British government turn the tide.

Britain funded Prussia and Austria's campaigns against France and its allies Spain and Europe, while the British struck back in the colonies.

By 1760, British forces had captured the major outposts of New France, seized French possessions in the Caribbean and established control of India.

In the Peace of Paris in 1763, France ceded Canada to Britain and received in return the sugar islands of Guadalupe and Martinique.

Spain ceded Florida to Britain in return for the Philippines and Cuba, which the British had seized during the war.

Spain also acquired Louisiana from the French.

France's empire in North America was finished, but attempts to pay for the costs of the war led to events that precipitated the French and American revolutions.

The French defeat upset the balance of power diplomacy that had enabled Indian groups like the Iroquois to maintain a degree of autonomy, and they saw Britain's victory in its colonies as a threat.

The French conceded lands the Indians controlled to the British without their consent, and the Treaty of Paris caused confusion about land claims, control of the fur trade, and tribal relations in general.

In 1763, Indians in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions rebelled against British rule.

Although named Pontiac's Rebellion after an Ottawa warrior, in fact, Neolan, a Delaware religious prophet, inspired much of the rebellion with visions that urged Indians to reject European technologies, commercial relations, and alcohol, and to expel the British from their lands.

He also encouraged Indians of different tribes to consider themselves all Indians, forging a pan-Indian identity for the first time.

By the end of 1763, British forces had quelled the rebellion, but the British government tried to quiet tensions between white settlers in the colonies and Indians by declaring the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting further colonial settlement in the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, which were reserved for Indians.

It also banned the sale of Indian lands to private individuals, allowing sales only to colonial governments.

The new policy enraged settlers and speculators who wanted these lands, and many colonists, including George Washington, ignored the policy and purchased land anyway, illegally.

Not solving the issue of westward expansion, the act instead exacerbated settler-Indian relations.

The 7 Years War changed all the American colonies, but none more so than Pennsylvania.

The war shattered the rule of the old Quaker elite and ended their policy of accommodating the Indians.

Many Western settlers pushed the colony's government into a more aggressive stance toward Indians during the war and the brutal warfare on the colony's frontier deepened western farmers' antagonism toward the Indians.

During Pontiac's rebellion, a group of armed western farmers from Paxton marched on Philadelphia, attacking and massacring Indians along the way.

The Paxton boys successfully pressured the governor into expelling peaceful Indians in that city, and by the end of the 1760s, Penn's holy experiment and his quest for peace between Europeans and Indians was over.

Colonists also emerged from the war with a greater sense of collective identity.

Before the war, the colonies had been isolated from 1 another.

If it had been approved in 1754, the Albany Plan of Union, drafted by Benjamin Franklin, would have created an inter-colonial legislature consisting of delegates from each colony with powers to levy taxes and conduct diplomacy with Indian tribes, but it was rejected by the colonial assemblies.

Although some tensions had arisen between American and British soldiers and officers during the war, the war mostly intensified American colonists' sense of themselves as Britons, with all the benefits that came from being British.

American colonists believed that British triumph in the war was a victory for Protestant freedom against Popish slavery.

France's defeat reinforced the conflation of British identity with Protestantism and freedom.

Soon, American colonists would come to believe that they could no longer protect their particularly British liberties within the British Empire.


Speaker 0: This lecture is on the topic, Battle for the Continent, and the focus question here is, what was the impact of the 7 Years War on Imperial and Indian-White relations? The western frontier of British America, particularly the Ohio Valley, was a battleground that saw nearly constant conflict between France, Britain, and their Indian allies, mostly tribes that had been pushed there by European settlement. On this middle ground between European empires and Indian sovereignty, Indians from various tribes lived together alongside European traders and missionaries. Indians of the Ohio Valley both learned to play the British and French off each other in a dangerous diplomatic game, and were victims of their European and Indian enemies in the cultural changes they wrought. In 1749, as white settlers began moving into the Ohio Valley, Virginia awarded an immense grant of land there to the Ohio Company, who could sell the land to settlers.

The grant threatened the valley's Indians and caused the French to reinforce their presence. The Ohio Company's demand for French recognition of its land claims inaugurated the 7 Years War, known in the colonies as the French and Indian War. The British had fought its rivals France and Spain in 3 inconclusive wars earlier in the 18th century and to finance these wars, Britain's public expenditures, taxes and national debt had greatly increased, inspiring discontent at home and in the colonies. The 7 Years War saw fighting among these global empires across the entire globe in what was truly a first world War. It started in 1754 with British efforts to dislodge the French from its forts in western Pennsylvania guarding the Ohio Valley.

When a small force of soldiers led by George Washington entered the area, conflict ensued. For the first 2 years of the war, French and Indian forces successfully attacked the frontiers of the British colonies in North America. Only in 1757, under Prime Minister Pitt's leadership, did the British government turn the tide. Britain funded Prussia and Austria's campaigns against France and its allies Spain and Europe, while the British struck back in the colonies. By 1760, British forces had captured the major outposts of New France, seized French possessions in the Caribbean and established control of India.

In the Peace of Paris in 1763, France ceded Canada to Britain and received in return the sugar islands of Guadalupe and Martinique. Spain ceded Florida to Britain in return for the Philippines and Cuba, which the British had seized during the war. Spain also acquired Louisiana from the French. France's empire in North America was finished, but attempts to pay for the costs of the war led to events that precipitated the French and American revolutions. The French defeat upset the balance of power diplomacy that had enabled Indian groups like the Iroquois to maintain a degree of autonomy, and they saw Britain's victory in its colonies as a threat.

The French conceded lands the Indians controlled to the British without their consent, and the Treaty of Paris caused confusion about land claims, control of the fur trade, and tribal relations in general. In 1763, Indians in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions rebelled against British rule. Although named Pontiac's Rebellion after an Ottawa warrior, in fact, Neolan, a Delaware religious prophet, inspired much of the rebellion with visions that urged Indians to reject European technologies, commercial relations, and alcohol, and to expel the British from their lands. He also encouraged Indians of different tribes to consider themselves all Indians, forging a pan-Indian identity for the first time. By the end of 1763, British forces had quelled the rebellion, but the British government tried to quiet tensions between white settlers in the colonies and Indians by declaring the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting further colonial settlement in the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, which were reserved for Indians.

It also banned the sale of Indian lands to private individuals, allowing sales only to colonial governments. The new policy enraged settlers and speculators who wanted these lands, and many colonists, including George Washington, ignored the policy and purchased land anyway, illegally. Not solving the issue of westward expansion, the act instead exacerbated settler-Indian relations. The 7 Years War changed all the American colonies, but none more so than Pennsylvania. The war shattered the rule of the old Quaker elite and ended their policy of accommodating the Indians.

Many Western settlers pushed the colony's government into a more aggressive stance toward Indians during the war and the brutal warfare on the colony's frontier deepened western farmers' antagonism toward the Indians. During Pontiac's rebellion, a group of armed western farmers from Paxton marched on Philadelphia, attacking and massacring Indians along the way. The Paxton boys successfully pressured the governor into expelling peaceful Indians in that city, and by the end of the 1760s, Penn's holy experiment and his quest for peace between Europeans and Indians was over. Colonists also emerged from the war with a greater sense of collective identity. Before the war, the colonies had been isolated from 1 another.

If it had been approved in 1754, the Albany Plan of Union, drafted by Benjamin Franklin, would have created an inter-colonial legislature consisting of delegates from each colony with powers to levy taxes and conduct diplomacy with Indian tribes, but it was rejected by the colonial assemblies. Although some tensions had arisen between American and British soldiers and officers during the war, the war mostly intensified American colonists' sense of themselves as Britons, with all the benefits that came from being British. American colonists believed that British triumph in the war was a victory for Protestant freedom against Popish slavery. France's defeat reinforced the conflation of British identity with Protestantism and freedom. Soon, American colonists would come to believe that they could no longer protect their particularly British liberties within the British Empire.

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Chapter 4 Battle for the Continent