The British-French Rivalry: The French And Indian War

Beginning in the 1740s, the British-French rivalry was a big problem for colonial America. The rivalry was based around both forces need to be the most powerful in America, as they were in Europe. There were many events leading to the French and Indian war however, some bigger, and more important than others. Both countries were equally as responsible for the clash, as both had an effect by taking direct approach, or an indirect one. Leading up to the French and Indian war were many events and incidents. Firstly, there was the westward expansion by the British colonists, which was on Indian land. Many colonists had bought land west of the Appalachian Mountains and were furious at the fact that it may be taken away. To add to the issue, France …show more content…
To begin with, it was the British colonists fighting the French and Indians, but after a while, Britain stepped in and began sending its own soldiers over. First, they sent over General Edward Braddock to lead 1,400 red coat-soldiers. The General had never fought in terrain such as was in America. Which its forests and few fields, the British were presented with a challenge that did not rise to, as they were used to fighting in open fields. Believing that the same tactics would work in the forests despite being warned by Washington, the General led his army marching through the terrain on the frontier to attach the French Fort Duquesne, in lined up columns while the French and Indians were hiding in the brush, waiting to attack. When the French and Indians decided to ambush the British troop, the soldiers and General Braddock were so surprised and unprepared, that the outcome was apparent, the French and Indians would win the battle. The British were defeated, and had lost nearly 1,000 men in the battle, as well as General Braddock. The survivors were led back to Virginia by Washington. Spirits were crushed, and it seemed impossible for Britain to win the …show more content…
William Pitt was a secretary of state and then became the prime minister of Great Britain, and was a wonderful military planner. Pitt’s first course of action, was to pay for the war efforts and weapons in America, and by doing which rang up an enormous. Pitt aimed to fix this by raising Great Britain’s taxes to avoid conflict with the colonists. However, not all was paid off and by the end of the war Pitt began raising the colonist’s taxes to pay off the rest of his debt. Believing he could win back the western lands, Pitt also planned to takeover French Canada. In 1758, Pitt sent British troops to America led by commanders Jeffrey Amherst and James Wolfe. The troops recaptured the British fortress at Louisbourg and not soon after, a group of New Englanders, led by British officers, captured Fort Frontenac at Lake Ontario. The British continued to win back their forts and land, until they decided it was time to attack the heavily guarded, and said to be impossible to attack, New France city of Quebec. In 1759, British general James Wolfe spotted an entrance to the city that was lightly guarded. The troops waited until night fell, and then overwhelmed the French guards and pushed their way into Quebec. Once inside, the British troop surprised the French army and defeated them on a field called the Plains of Abraham. Once Quebec was