How Did The Seven Years War Affect Great Britain

From 1701 to 1763 Great Britain fought in a series of wars concerning the European balance of power. These wars include the war of Spanish Succession, the war of Austrian Succession, and the Seven Years’ war. These wars had a significant effect on both Europe and North America. The war of Spanish Succession was fought over who should rule the Spanish empire after the death of King Charles II. King Charles II had no children, and several relatives had equal claim to the throne. On his deathbed, King Charles II left the throne to Philippe, a grandson of the king of France. This greatly upset the other powers in Europe because it raised the possibility of a unification of the French and Spanish empires. This would give Spain and France a disproportionate amount of power. In 1701, Great Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire joined together against France and Spain to prevent them from uniting. The Treaty of Utrecht ended the war in 1714. With the treaty, Philippe was recognized as King of Spain, but renounced his and his descendants claim to the French throne. Great Britain acquired the territories of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Gibraltar, Minorca, and parts of modern day Italy from Spain and France. The war forever changed the balance of power in Europe. It …show more content…
The British, believing American colonists had caused the war, felt Americans were ungrateful for the troops and supplies they provided. The British also ridiculed their colonial militias, claiming they were incompetent and cowardly. The colonists disagreed, believing they made significant contributions to the war effort. Americans were resentful of the British for what they believed were unjust wartime policies. They hadn 't forgotten how they were forced to house British soldiers with no hope of reimbursement, or that they were forcibly enlisted into the British