French and Indian War 1754 -1763

The French and Indian War was between 1754 to 1763.

Note about the paintings The Prize, Frontiersman I and Coming to Trade were all done by artist John Buxton. I have retained permission to use them for this unit study only.Please do not copy and paste them in other places as he makes his livelihood by selling them, but has given permission for us to use them here only for educational purposes. Please respect his copyright terms with us and the effort and time we have taken to contact him and receive permission by not placing our work on your site but placing a link. His website is buxtonart.com if you wish to purchase any of his beautiful paintings. 

French and Indian War 1754 -1763

The Governor of Virginia and the Governor of Canada  are quarreling about lands which belong to us and their quarrel may end in our destruction “ –  Hendrick, Mohawk Leader

(About the picture on the right: This engraving was sold in London after Hendrick’s death in the Battle of Lake George. He wears the uniform of a British officer and a veil, his customary battle dress. He holds a belt of wampum in his left hand.)

Lapbooks here to go with this unit.

The American Revolution was AFTER this war. Go here for my American Revolution Lapbook if you want to do the lapbooks in chronological order.

If you need just one minibook for a general overview of the French and Indian War then go here to my Daniel Boone Lapbook.

Daniel Boone fought in this war. He was one of the volunteer wagon drivers for Edward Braddock’s army. If you want to do a unit study on Daniel Boone go here for our lapbook.

The French and British discovered prior to the French and Indian war that they were claiming lands that were not empty.

The Iroquois had been in the New York State for several hundred years before Europeans arrived. The British and French tried to get different Indian tribes on their side, including the Iroquois.

You can do a unit study on the Iroquois Confederacy or include some of that with this unit. Go here and here for our lapbooks.

More French and Indian Activities

What was this war about?

It was a war to answer the question: which would be the stronger power in North America – England or France?

How many names does this war have anyway?

1. From the British point of view this war became to be known as the French and Indian War 2.Seven Years’ War {Note: Even though the dates given are 9 years, the war didn’t officially start until 1756.} 3. The French who lived in Canada called it the Guerre de la Conquete (War of Conquest). The French saw the British as conquerors who took away their land.

Later U.S. historians named it the French and Indian War.

Background of the War/ Roots in Europe

The Seven Years.  War was fought not only in North America but also in the Caribbean, throughout Europe, and in India and Africa. It was part of a wide conflict that began among European powers.

The French were exploring the interior of North America while English colonists were settling the eastern coast. By the late 1600s,  French explorers had claimed the Ohio River Valley, the Mississippi River Valley and the entire Great Lakes Region

Warring over land was fairly common. In the 1700’s monarchs ruled Europe. They had split up the continent and their word was law. Rulers obtained land through various means either through marriages or through exploration. They would explore new lands and claim them for their country regardless of the people who were living there.

Explorers from Spain, Portugal, France and England traveled the world. When they came across lands that no other European power owned they would claim them as their own.

What the British and French claimed land, they discovered that not really any of it was empty. Many American Indian nations lived and hunted across North America.

By the mid 1700’s, France and Britain were two powerful empires both wanting claims to the same territory.

About French Trading 
The French first explored the Mississippi River and eastern Canada. It claimed these lands calling them the New Franc. French traders and trappers traveled over this area and traded with the Indians. They also trapped animal for their furs.

The furs were then sold in Europe to make clothing and hats. Most of the money from this trade was going to the French government.

It wasn’t long before French Traders were looking for new areas to trap and explore.  They started looking at the Ohio Territory.

What was the importance of the Ohio Territory?

The Ohio Country  was the meeting point of three major rivers. Rivers were major transportation routes. Also rivers were the fastest way to travel through the interior of North America.

This area was rich in natural resources like timber, fur bearing animals and minerals.

By the 1750’s, the French were expanding fur trade with the Indians and began to build a series of forts along Lake Ontario and to the South.

A new governor named the Marquis Duquesne arrived to command New France. Duquesne order a fort to be built at the forks of the Ohio River.

Holding Fort Duquesne {pronounced “doo kane”} on the Ohio River was a key step toward controlling the rivers.

A few of the key players

At 21 years old, George Washington was a surveyor and had enlisted as a major in the Virginia Militia.

He volunteered to deliver a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Governor of the British Colony of Virginia to the French at Fort LeBoeuf warning them to leave the Ohio Territory that the British had claimed.

He lead many battles during the French and Indian War.

{George Washington}

 Major General Edward Braddock. British commander of the first disastrous attack on Fort Duquesne.

{Edward Braddock}

 
Governor of Virginia
{Robert Dinwiddie}

General James Wolfe, British Commander and General Louis Joseph de Montcalm, French Commander killed at the Battle of Quebec.
{James Wolfe and Louis Montcalm}

Ottawa Chief who united many Indian Nations to resist British expansion into Indian Lands.

Picture of Lapbook layout