Comparing The French And Indian War As A Turning Point In American History

Improved Essays
In the years following the French and Indian War the colonist experienced a sudden change in regulation constrains and authoritative power. The British Parliament placed the debt of the French and Indian War on the shoulders of the colonist and when the colonists refused to pay the dues. As a result the British Parliament decided they would collect the money via taxation. The first tax to be implemented was the Stamp Act: a tax on all printed goods, which included, but was not limited to marriage licenses, playing cards and newspapers. The Stamp Act required that every printed document had a stamp as proof of tax payment. In result, American activist revolted against British Parliament and their attempt to tax the colonies. The implementation of this tax was a turning point in American History as it paved the way for revolutionary ideas and groups. …show more content…
Great Britain had a rough start in the war due to General Edward Braddock’s failure to secure Indian allies and the lack of complying colonists (Office of the Historian). After the French tried to engage in a negotiation with Great Britain, which ultimately failed, “Spanish King Charles III came to the aid of his cousin, French King Louis XV, and their representatives signed an alliance known as the Family Compact (Office of the Historian).” The Family Compact noted that if the British did not cease war before 1762 then Spain would declare a war. This alliance was formatted to pressure the British into a peace agreement, but instead it encouraged the French to regain their strength and finish out the war until it came to its close in 1763 by the signing of the Treaty of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The french and indian war, fought between Britain and France during the years 1754-1763, was a response to debate over the Ohio River Valley between the two countries, won by the British in 1763. The effects of the war, rather than improve relations between the colonies and their mother country, worsened them. The conclusion of the french and indian war strained british and colonial relations due to issues of land acquisition such as the proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec act, political changes such as the end of salutary neglect and trivialization of existing colonial government, and economic burdens stemming from mercantilism and heavy taxes placed on the colonies that eventually led to the American revolution. When the Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War, it granted Britain the territory of the Ohio River Valley. The treaty more…

    • 1100 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King George III and the British accumulated a massive debt after the French and Indian war. British Funds experience a dramatic shortage, so Parliament was forced to place taxes on the colonists to offset the accrued war expenses. Paying off the debt from the seven-year war was King George’s main concern. By taxing anyone who was neglected during the seven years’ war the British funds could add to their empire thus by strengthening it more. Taxation came in many forms, the first was the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765) and the Townshend Duties (1767).…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Resulting Impacts of the French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754-1763) had several grave impacts on North American society, but most importantly it agitated the relationship between the colonists and Great Britain. The French and Indian War was fought in North America amongst colonial Great Britain, colonial France, and both of their Native American allies. Across the seas, the Seven Years War was taking place simultaneously, and the combination of the two wars led to severe burdens. Economically, Great Britain substantially enlarged its national debt and began to experiment with taxes to pay it off.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Road to Revolution The American Colonies were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain because of the unconstitutional laws placed on them by the British Parliament; as well as the tyrannical rule the Britain enforced over them. The American colonialists had every right to rebel against Britain because of the unconstitutional laws being enforced over them by said Parliament. The Stamp Act was a law passed by the British Parliament on the Colonies in 1765 which required a tax to be paid for the approval of any printed and sold document; such as: newspapers, playing cards, legal documents, posters, etc.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The French and Indian War, which was also known as the Seven Years War, was the conflict in which the British fought against the French and their allies, the Indians. The war actually lasted more than seven years, stretching unofficially from 1754 to 1763. The French and Indian War was important because it planted the idea of one specific country controlling the entire land of the New World. Although the British struggled in the early years of the war, Great Britain, along with the American colonists, eventually were able to defeat the French and their allies. As a result of the war, France lost much of its land, including the Quebec region.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian War marked a major turning point in American relations with Great Britain, with changes such as increased British control and anti-British sentiment in the colonies, but also continuities such as loyalty to Britain that remained largely untouched by the war. The Sugar Act and the Stamp Act helped pay for war debt, the Passage of Proclamation 1763 prevented movement across the Appalachians, which presented a problem, and the Albany Plan of Union which was used to centralize a government. All of these were important aspects of the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was a major victory for the British, but left them in so much debt that they passed these acts.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    This act showed some comprise on behalf of the House of Commons, according their own perspective. This was just one example of the widely divided viewpoints from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Next came the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act placed a tax on almost every piece of paper that the Colonist handled, except for their paper currency that was almost worthless at this point in time. Newspapers, correspondence, business transactions, to common playing cards required these stamps.…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian War (1754-63) altered the political, economic, and ideological relations between England and the American Colonies. Due to the French and Indian war life changed between the colonist and England. England acquired more territory after the war than they had prior. Document A shows how much the landscape had changed. The cost of this war was more than England had expected and it put them in great financial debt.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The colonists failed to understand the difference between external and internal taxes. They saw the Townshend Duties as raising revenue in America without the taxpayer’s consent. The American Revolution completely changed the social and political landscape of this country and the world. The American Revolution has a definite effect on people in modern day culture. The United States might not exist it if were not for the American Revolution.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian War had begun in 1754 because of a boundary dispute between the French and the British. The French argued that the British had settled along the Ohio Valley that was located in their territory, thus resulting in a brutal event that is also known as the Seven Years’ War. The relationship between Britain and its North American Colonies was modified due to the French and Indian War because of the land acquisitions and economy that forever changed the way they communicated and interacted with each other. For there are many reasons why the British and North American Colonies’ relationship have altered, the land acquisition largely contributed to the way they communicate and interact post-war.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian War between Great Britain, France and Spain had a large impact on the colonial-Britain relationship. The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the war leaving Great Britain with new territory to expand their claims. Moreover, the expenses of the war left them with an immense amount of debt. In relation to the colonies the effect of the French and Indian War was damaging. Great Britain mistreated the colonies by heavily taxing them and imposing unfair acts in order to relieve their expenses and tighten their control on the colonies.…

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Stamp Act was made by Parliament, March 22, 1765. The new tax was forced on every American and was required them to pay a tax on every copy of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money gathered by the Stamp Act was to be put toward to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the America near the Appalachian Mountains (10,000 troops were to be stationed on the American frontier for this purpose). The real price of the Stamp Act was a small amount.…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American colonists’ actions towards Britain were justified. The British habit of forcefully imposing taxes upon the colonists without their permission was unfair and contributed to the justification of the colonists’ actions. For example, the Stamp Act was levied upon a multitude of paper products used in everyday life and was considered “a very burdensome and … unconstitutional tax” (Doc 10) by the colonists. This tax caused some of the first sparks of American resentment towards Britain and gave colonists a rude awakening to the true nature of the Parliament.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Stamp Act Dbq

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Stamp Act March 22, 1765, the day the Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament, little did the colonist know that every piece of printed paper they used would be taxed, because of this act. After the 7 Years War, the British Empire was tapped out of money, and was in desperate need to pay the British troops located at the colonies. Since the colonies had British troops defending them, the British thought it was only fair to share the cost. So the British, used the colonist as a source of revenue, believing they should pitch in and help relieve the debt of the war. The Stamp Act was the first tax directly conducted towards the American colonist, igniting an uproar of rage.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On July 4th, 1776, the United States declared independence. Which eventually led up to the revolutionary war. But what actions led to this event that changed the lives of everyone? Well, it all started with the Albany Congress. The 7 leaders of english colonies met up together to discuss how they would take over Frances land.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays