The French and Indian War



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The French and Indian War

Introduction

The French and Indian War occurred during the time period of 1756-1763. Known also as the Seven Years' War, the battle was a power struggle amongst Britain and France. In the beginning of the 1750s, the French increased their land hold by expansion through the Ohio River valley. This movement resulted in conflicts with the British Colonies near Virginia. The British declared war in 1756 due to the tensions on their land. The British and the French each had their own advantages in the war, the battle at Fort Necessity spark the start of the war, and the treaties negotiated ended the war.

Discussion

British Advantages

The English secured several benefits over the French. Firstly, they had a compact alliance with the Iroquois Indians of the clans of Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, Mohawk, Tuscarora, and Oneida. Secondly, Britain had the strongest naval power in the region and their manpower out powered the French severely. To give an estimate, the British had about one million people while the French just had a mere 60,000 on the St. Lawrence River and 6,000 on the Gulf coast.

French Advantages

The French had a planned system of battle strongholds along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes region. They had a single royal system of command which was easy to communicate and understand at battle. The British had independent local bodies that had tensions in arranging and organizing for war. In terms of local soldiers, the French interfered on a lower scale with the local Indians, had much fewer settlements, and thus created a more beneficial group with the Red Indians. Also, the French had the upper hand on land. Their groups of trappers, hunters, and traders knew the forest regions well and utilized them as an advantage ...