French and Indian
War
VS
+
Fighting against the French and their Indian allies
• Cause:
the British wanted the same
territory as the French and tried to
force their claim to the land and the
French reacted
• Spain gets involved …
to help the French; Kings were cousins
who signed an agreement to support each
other.
“ Spanish King Charles III offered to come to the aid of his
cousin, French King Louis XV, and their representatives
signed an alliance known as the Family Compact on August
15, 1761. The terms of the agreement stated that Spain
would declare war on Great Britain if the war did not end
before May 1, 1762 originally intended to pressure the
British into a peace agreement, the Family Compact
ultimately reinvigorated the French will to continue the war,
and caused the British Government to declare war on Spain
on January 4, 1762, after bitter infighting among King
George III’s ministers.”
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war
War Ends
• In 1760
• Document ending the war is the
Treaty of Paris 1763
Treaty of Paris 1763
North America was divided as a
war prize:
- French lost Canada and all
territory East of the Mississippi
River to Great Britain
- Spain traded Florida to Great
Britain in return for Cuba
“His Most Christian Majesty renounces all pretensions
which he has heretofore formed or might have
formed to Nova Scotia or Acadia in all its parts, and
guaranties the whole of it, and with all its
dependencies, to the King of Great Britain”
(French lose Acadia – affects the Acadians)
“the King of Great Britain shall restore to Spain all the
territory which he has conquered in the island of
Cuba”
(Spain gets Cuba back)
“in consequence of the restitution stipulated in the
preceding article, his Catholick Majesty cedes and
guaranties, in full right, to his Britannick Majesty,
Florida, with Fort St. Augustin, and the Bay of
Pensacola, as well as all that Spain possesses on the
continent of North America, to the East or to the
South East of the river Mississippi”
(Spain gives Florida to Britain)
“it is agreed, that, for the future, the confines between the dominions
of his Britannick Majesty and those of his Most Christian Majesty, in
that part of the world, shall be fixed irrevocably by a line drawn
along the middle of the River Mississippi, from its source to the river
Iberville, and from thence, by a line drawn along the middle of this
river, and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the sea; and for
this purpose, the Most Christian King cedes in full right, and
guaranties to his Britannick Majesty the river and port of the Mobile,
and every thing which he possesses, or ought to possess, on the left
side of the river Mississippi, except the town of New Orleans and the
island in which it is situated, which shall remain to France, provided
that the navigation of the river Mississippi shall be equally free, as
well to the subjects of Great Britain as to those of France, in its whole
breadth and length, from its source to the sea, and expressly that
part which is between the said island of New Orleans and the right
bank of that river, as well as the passage both in and out of its
mouth: It is farther stipulated, that the vessels belonging to the
subjects of either nation shall not be stopped, visited, or subjected to
the payment of any duty whatsoever.”
Meanwhile….
• In 1762, FRANCE transfers
Louisiana territory over to Spain
• (Secret ) Treaty of
Fountainebleu
“The said acceptation and ratification having been approved by us,
and regarded as a strong evidence of the friendship and good will of
our very dear and well-beloved cousin the Catholic King, we renew
and confirm by these presents the cession of Louisiana and of New
Orleans, with the island in which that city stands, promising
immediately to conclude with our said brother and cousin a
convention, in which the measures to be taken in concert for
executing and consummating this cession to our mutual
satisfaction will be fixed by common accord.
In faith whereof, we have caused these presents to be drawn up,
which we have signed with our hands, and have affixed to them our
secret seal.
Given at Versailles, on the twenty-third day of the month of
November, in the year of grace one thousand seven hundred and
sixty-two, and of our reign the forty-eighth.
Louis.
By the King : Choiseul, Duke de Praslin.”
• Was hidden from Great Britain because it
might have affected the war and its results
• Spain wanted the colony because…
–It would serve as a buffer and keep the
British away from the Spanish silver mines
in northern Mexico
–Control of the Mississippi River offered
even more protection