In the four wars that were fought in the colonies by the great powers, the Seven Years War (called the French and Indian War in the colonies) was the most far-reaching with the most devastating consequences. On a lighter note, my wife and I have a running joke that everything always comes back to the French and Indian War. As a history geek, I bring up lots of events and issues that are particular to this region. It’s true. Everything can connect back to this war… well, almost everything. Well, maybe only a few things…
WAR AND THE MANAGEMENT OF EMPIRE (156) So, it all begins with the English revolution of 1688. That’s when the crown begins to pay more attention to the colonies. Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) and King George’s War (1744-1748) saw the colonies become the battleground between competitive European powers. Why fight? Maybe there was an economic justification for war. Maybe there was a geopolitical one. Your text states that commercial dominance of the Atlantic was a prime reason. Another key point in this section is how King George’s War became global. This would also be true for the French and Indian War, which many historians claim was the first world war. Look at the impact on local people, though, in Massachusetts. When the fort at Louisburg was given back in the treaty, many felt betrayed. This was a taste for the colonies of what it was like to be another country’s pawn in a global struggle. On another note, it’s important for you to know that military history (battles, tactics, statistics, etc.) are not on the AP exam. The causes and effects of wars are definitely on the test, but not the battles themselves.
OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES (158) In this section, you begin to see more of the economic incentives for war. The text points out the population growth in the lower and western colonies pushed people to grab as much land as possible. Of course, this necessitates the Native Americans being removed or reduced first. The Ohio Valley region was the big pot of gold. Both France and England wanted it, and the colonists had their own ideas too. George Washington loses one of his first battles in 1754 at Fort Duquesne and the war is on. It’s ironic that he’s the one to begin it. It becomes a global war. In the end, it wasn’t really much of a contest. The English whip the French, but colonial anger sets in as they don’t get to reap the rewards that victory brought.
TRIBAL STRATEGIES (161) Another weird thing is that both sides (French and England) try to win over the Native Americans because they don’t want them to be a wild card in the war, but they both want to minimize the Native presence to exploit natural resources (fur, land). This is an important point, because Natives are often assumed to be manipulated. Here they are the manipulators. The only thing is that they don’t have a strong hand to play. It’s a delaying tactic to play one European power against another. They can’t win in the long run. How many other indigenous people in the 1700′s and 1800′s found themselves in similar situations. India, Africa, Australia, etc.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEVEN YEARS WAR (162) So, what’s the effect? Check out the details, because as I said above, the after-effects of wars are huge. One mnemonic tool that can help you with this is PERSIA (political, economic, religious, social, intellectual and artistic). There are others too that are more specific to wars. I’ll dig some out for you. You should notice, in the text, that one of the biggest mistakes that the English made concerning the colonies was the Proclamation of 1763. Another point is that war was, and is, very profitable. Just ask all of the corporations that made billions in the Iraq War. Then there were the taxes. This is an interesting example of nationalist history. We look at the past from the point of view that already justifies the outcome of the revolution. Was it wrong to require the colonies to pay taxes to support the cost of the war? We’ll see. Notice in your text that it’s not just the taxes that causes the problems? Were colonists just caught in an unintentional economic storm, or was there a motive driving the colonists towards independence? Hm.
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