The French and Indian War

In the mid-1700s, both Great Britain and France claimed the same piece of land: the Ohio River Valley. British colonists were farmers who wanted to clear the land to build new towns and farms for their growing population.

The French, however, wanted to keep the forests intact for their valuable fur trade. They built forts to protect their business with American Indian partners.

These two opposite goals—farming vs. fur trading—created a conflict that would spark a major war for control of North America.

The war began badly for the British until a young officer named George Washington gained experience in the early battles. Eventually, Britain sent more soldiers and ships, turning the tide.

The British victory at the Battle of Quebec forced France to surrender. The Treaty of Paris (1763) officially ended the war.

France lost almost all its land in North America. Britain now controlled a massive empire, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

Although Britain won, the war was incredibly expensive, leaving the government with a massive war debt. To prevent further costly wars with Native Americans, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763.

This law drew a line along the Appalachian Mountains and forbade colonists from settling west of it.

This angered the colonists, who believed they had fought the war specifically to win the right to move west. They ignored the law, creating the first major tension between the colonies and the British government.