How Did The French And Indian War Affect The British And The Colonists

The French and Indian War started due to the French occupation of the Ohio River Valley. Both the British and the French wanted control of the land because it would provide fertile soil that was adequate for farmland, they sought control over the major rivers, and the Ohio River Valley afforded chances for trade with the local American Indians. This led the French to build forts and send patrols and as a result the English had George Washington lead a militia that would ambush a French camp. However, George Washington ended up surrendering and therefore the British had to develop a plan to push the French out of the valley. Thus, in 1755, the British attacked Fort Duquesne. They were defeated and soon after this loss, the British declared war. This conflict had profound impact on British relations with the American colonies. Both the British and the colonists were impacted by the war due to land acquisitions that occurred. The British gained control of all land east of the Mississippi River and Florida while Spain gained the Louisiana Territory and New Orleans. The colonists could begin exploring and expanding to the west of the Mississippi River. However, this caused problems because colonists were invading American Indian land. An unsuccessful rebellion by American Indians was led by Pontiac, an Ottawa Indian war …show more content…
The many things that the British imposed on the colonists built up animosity and eventually the colonists were forced to act. This led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty, an organization that fought taxation without representation, and eventually led to the American Revolution. Overall, despite the acquisition of large amounts of land, the costs of war and the ensuing conflict with the colonies outweighed the benefits for the British. The colonies became a united populace, ultimately able to overthrow British