Ohio River Valley Conflict: French & British

• The conflict between Great Britain, France, and the American Indians transpired in the Ohio River Valley.

Conflict in the Ohio River Valley

• The British sought more land for farming, initiating conflict with the French.
• French Fur Traders aimed to preserve the wilderness, a habitat for fur-bearing animals, fearing deforestation by the British.
• The Algonquin and Huron sided with the French, seeking forest preservation and acknowledging past French aid against the Iroquois.
• The Iroquois sided with the British, expressing discontent with French assistance to their enemies.
• Conflict was mainly at the upper Ohio River Valley.
• The French extended influence south to the Great Lakes, establishing a major outpost in Detroit.
• British colonists, including farmers and traders, crossed the Appalachian Mountains.
• The French constructed forts from Lake Erie to Western Pennsylvania to impede advancement.
• The British, perceiving it as a threat, sought to expel the French.

Battle at Fort Duquesne

• Young George Washington was dispatched by Dinwiddie to reinforce a British outpost in present-day Pittsburgh.
• French troops had already seized and renamed it Fort Duquesne.
• Washington built a temporary fort named Fort Necessity.
• Washington launched an attack against the French and won, before the French counterattacked, leading to Washington's surrender.
• Washington returned to Virginia.
• The French razed Fort Necessity.
• This marked the commencement of the French and Indian War.
• George Washington was thanked for his efforts and appointed head of Virginia's militia on the frontier.

French Gain the Upper Hand

• Early in the war, the French had initial victories.
• Indians employed surprise attacks versus British formations.
• General Braddock, accompanied by Washington, led troops against Fort Duquesne.
• The French ambushed them, resulting in many deaths, including that of Braddock.
• Washington assumed command and led the rest to safety.
• French commander Montcalm commanded French and Indian soldiers.
• Fort Oswego (Great Lakes region) was captured, gaining control of Lake Ontario.
• Fort William Henry (near NY) was captured.

Turning Point

• The British government, influenced by Prime Minister Pitt, invested money, troops, and supplies into the conflict.
• British soldiers and American militias became skilled in fighting like the Indians.
• The British Navy severed the shipment of food and supplies to French colonies in New France.

British Victories

• Important victories included Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and Fort Frontenac (Lake Ontario).
• The British retook Fort Duquesne and renamed it Fort Pitt.
• Other victories took place at Fort Niagara and Fort Ticonderoga (Near Lake Champlain, NY).

Height of the War

• Quebec saw a surprise attack at night led by British commander Wolfe, capturing a French outpost.
• French commander Montcalm did not wait for reinforcements.
• British forces were professional soldiers, while the French relied on volunteers.
• The French retreated and surrendered Quebec City.
• Both Wolfe and Montcalm lost their lives.
• A year later, the French surrendered Montreal, giving the British control over New France.

Outcomes and Aftermath

• The French attempted to reclaim Quebec without success.

• Spain assisted France, granting them a significant portion of the Louisiana Territory.

• The conflict ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763.

• British King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763.

• It allocated land west of the Appalachian Mountains to Indians to prevent British settlements in the Ohio River Valley.

• Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe initiated Pontiac's War.

• Nearly all American Indian groups from Lake Superior to the lower Mississippi River Valley were organized against the British.

• Indian groups seized many British outposts and destroyed settlements.

• Pontiac's attack at Detroit failed and the British won overall.

• Pontiac later signed a peace treaty with the British.

• Colonists rebelled against the British, eventually fighting for independence.

• Colonists resented the Proclamation and believed the British would not protect them from Indian attacks.

New Taxes

• The war resulted in a doubling of Britain's debt.
• King George III advisors suggested that tax colonists pay for Britain's protection during and after war.

Sugar Act

• Colonists were taxed on sugar products.
• Failure to pay resulted in arrest and fines and proved to not be a good revenue source.

Stamp Act

• Colonists were compelled to buy stamps for printed documents.
• It included items like letters, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards.
• Colonists were upset, disagreeing with taxation without consent.

Samuel Adams

• A strong opponent of tax laws in Massachusetts, he sent protest letters to newspapers.
• He addressed delegates from the colony's assembly.

Colonies Respond

• Patriots were colonists advocating for more American control of their government.
• Colonial legislatures had previously handled taxation.
• The British government was now imposing taxes and sending the money to Britain.
• Every colony protested the new tax law.
• The Sons of Liberty was founded by Samuel Adams.
• They protested the Stamp Act and gathered in Boston under "The Liberty Tree."
• Patriots considered breaking away from Great Britain = Independence.

Loyalists

• Loyalists remained loyal to King George III and believed independence would result in chaos.
• Representatives from nine colonies convened in New York for the Stamp Act Congress.
• They asserted that Parliament lacked the authority to tax colonists without elected representation.
• Parliament ignored their concerns and enforced the Stamp Act.
• Angry colonists boycotted, refusing to conduct business with or buy goods from Britain and refused to use the new stamps.

Daughters of Liberty

• Women produced "homespun" cloths and other items to replace British goods.
• The boycott was successful.
• It hurt British merchants and pressured Parliament to end the Stamp Act.
• Parliament addressed concerns more seriously than colonial concerns.
• Parliament repealed the Stamp Act.

The Townshend Acts

• Named for Charles Townshend, treasurer of the British government.
• Taxed factory-made goods imported from Great Britain, including tea, paper, glass, and lead.
• Colonists protested, demanding its cancellation.
• Colonists boycotted newly taxed items and businesses that used or sold taxed goods.
• Britain, fearing violence from boycotts, sent troops to Boston, the center of protests.

Boston Massacre

• Quartering Act required residents to house and feed British officers.
• Colonists gathered to protest, resulting in violence between colonists and British soldiers.
• Soldiers fired muskets, killing five colonists.

Boston Tea Party

• The Tea Act granted the British East India Company complete control over tea sales.
• They did not have to pay export tax, so they could sell tea cheaper than colonist merchants.
• Samuel Adams and other colonists were upset that they didn't get to vote on the tax and also because it hurt local businesses.
• Three ships carrying East India Company tea arrived in Boston Harbor.
• Boston residents protested the Tea Act by preventing ships from unloading.
• The governor allowed ships to stay in harbor until tea was sold.
• The Sons of Liberty boarded the ships and dumped tea into the harbor.
• Parliament responded by introducing the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) in the colonies.
• Boston Harbor was closed, town meetings were banned, more soldiers were sent to live in the city

First Continental Congress

• Colonies convened to discuss British policies and response strategies.
• Congress rejected a reconciliation plan with the British government.
• A petition was sent to King George III.
• It requested equal rights as British citizens, repeal of Coercive Acts, and the end of trade with Britain until demands were met.

Samuel Adams

• Founder of Sons of Liberty.
• Helped plan Boston Tea Party.
• Protested Stamp Act.
• Created 1st Committee of Correspondence.
• Played a role in forming more committees in colonies.
• Signed Declaration of Independence.
• Elected Governor of Massachusetts.

George Washington

• Fought in the French and Indian War as a British officer.
• Built Fort Necessity but was defeated by the French.
• Gained military experience, later used in the American Revolution.

Major Taxes

• Stamp Act in 1765: Tax on printed materials like newspapers and legal documents.
• Sugar Act in 1764: Tax on sugar, molasses, and other imports.
• Townshend Acts in 1767: Taxes on glass, paper, lead, and tea.
• Tea Act in 1773: Gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales.
• Quartering Act between 1765 & 1774: Required colonists to house and feed British soldiers.

Timber Act

• Controlled timber exports from colonies, with the purpose of ensuring Britain had resources for shipbuilding.
• It hurt the colonial economy and increased resentment.

Transportation Act

• Allowed Britain to send criminals to American colonies.
• Reduced overcrowding in British prisons.
• Unwanted convicts were sent to America.

Examine the causes and early events of the conflict between the French and British. Focus on French economic interests, Native American alliances, and strategic objectives in the Ohio River Valley. It also covers George Washington's role and the significance of Fort Necessity.