Chapter 4 Flashcards
What happened from 1689 to 1763 between Great Britain, France, and Spain?
Four wars occurred intermittently over this 74-year time period;
The stakes were high because the winner of the struggle would gain new World supremacy and dominate the lucrative colonial trade
What happened in King William’s War and Queen Anne’s War (the first two of four wars between the empires)?
The British tried to capture Quebec, but their efforts failed;
American Indians supported by the French burned British frontier settlements
Why did the British forces ultimately prevail in Queen Anne’s War?
Because they managed to gain both Nova Scotia from France and trading rights in Spanish America
What happened during King George’s War?
The British colonies were attacked from the French and Spanish;
The British ultimately prevailed and gained political and economic gains in India
Where did the first three of four wars focus primarily on?
They focused primarily on battles in Europe and only secondarily on conflict in the colonies
What was the fourth and final war between the empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain?
The Seven Year’s War (The French and Indian War)
What started the Seven Years’ War? (Part 1)
The French began building forts in the Ohio River Valley, which provoked the British;
The French were doing this because they wanted to halt the westward expansion of the British colonies
What started the Seven Years’ War? (Part 2)
In retaliation, the governor of Virginia sent a small militia headed by George Washington to stop the French;
They had a small victory but eventually had to surrender on 1754
How was the start of the Seven Years’ War for the British?
It wasn’t going too well because they were being defeated by the French and their American Indian allies (e.g., the Algonquin)
Who developed the Albany Plan of Union of 1754?
Benjamin Franklin
What did the Albany Plan of Union of 1754 do?
It provided an intercolonial government and a system for recruiting troops and collecting taxes from the colonies for the war
Why wasn’t the Albany Plan of Union taken up?
Because each colony was too jealous of its own taxation powers to accept the plan
Who was William Pitt?
Britain’s prime minister during the Seven Years’ War
What did William Pitt do?
He concentrated British efforts to conquering Canada
How did William Pitt accomplish his goal of conquering Canada during the Seven Years’ War?
-The retaking of Louisbourg
-The surrender of Quebec to General James Wolfe
-The taking on Montreal in 1760
What happened in 1763 regarding the Seven Years’ War?
After British victories in Canada, a peace treaty (the Peace of Paris) was signed
What did the Peace of Paris do?
It allowed Great Britain to acquire both French Canada and Spanish Florida;
France had to give up Louisiana and its claims to the west of the Mississippi River to Spain;
This ended French power on the continent but extended British control in North America
What did the aftermath of Seven Years’ War do for Britain?
It established it as the dominant naval power in the world;
It changed the way Britain and its colonies viewed each other
How did the British view the colonies after the Seven Years’ War?
They emerged with a low opinion on colonial military abilities;
They viewed the colonists as unwilling and unable to defend new frontiers of the British empire because of their lacking contributions during the Seven Years’ War
How did the colonies view themselves and Britain after the Seven Years’ War?
They thought they did well and were proud of themselves for their military prowess;
They didn’t believe that British methods of warfare suited the densely wooded terrain of eastern America
Why did the British adopt more forceful policies for taking control of their expanded North American dominions?
Because the four wars (especially the last one) was extremely costly;
In addition, King George III wanted to American colonies to bear more of the cost of maintaining the British empire to pay for troops to guard the frontier without increasing taxes at home (the motherland)
What was the dominant political party in Parliament at the time of Britain being more forceful in its colonies?
The Whigs
Who was Pontiac?
He was a chief who led a major attack against the colonial settlements on the western frontier
Why did Pontiac’s Rebellion occur?
It occured because the American Indians were angered by the growing westward movement of European settlers in their land
When did Pontiac’s Rebellion occur?
In 1763
What happened in Pontiac’s Rebellion?
Pontiac and his alliance of American Indians in the Ohio Valley destroyed forts and settlements from New York to Virginia
