Essay On How Did The Power Struggle Over The Ohio Valley

By 1750, the fertile Ohio Valley had become important for the major powers in the world at the time including England, Spain, and France since taking hold of it was key to rising to the top of power in the New World. Gaining control over the Ohio Valley was particularly important to England since the growing population of American colonists needed room for westward expansion of their settlements. The Ohio Valley was also important to France because it was the key to France’s retainment of their land. The area linked France’s territory in Canada with the Mississippi Valley, meaning that if the French could settle in the Ohio Valley, they would have a large anchor in the profitable New World. When Spain first discovered the New World, it was slow in seizing territory for its own. However, when the French and English began to seize territory in the New World before Spain did, it scrambled to do so, and the Ohio River Valley became an important …show more content…
Ultimately, all three countries, Spain, France, and England, were competing for control over the Ohio River Valley because it would have greatly benefitted the victor in multiple ways. Ultimately, the power struggle over the Ohio Valley made war in North America inevitable. Land is a valuable commodity for countries, and since the three nations could not share one area, engaging in war was the natural action to take in resolving the land conflict. One of the most notable wars that occurred in North America was the French and Indian War of 1754, which was sparked by the fight over ownership of the frontier. In 1754, the French constructed Fort Duquesne where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converged into the Ohio River. However, the English grew resentful toward the construction of forts since families like that of George Washington and other colonists already laid claim to territory in the area. Since the English refused to share land with the French, the Virginian governor ordered George