Wars in Europe and the Colonies
European Name
American Name
Reason for the
War
Duration of the
War
The War of the
League of
Augsburg
King William’s
War
French King sides 1688 - 1697
with the ousted
British monarch,
James II
Ends in truce
The War of the
Spanish
Succession
Queen Anne’s
War
French King puts
his son on the
throne of Spain;
England teams
up with the
Netherlands
1702-1712
Treaty of Utrecht;
Britain gains
control of Nova
Scotia and other
French
territories;
boundaries
unclear
The War of the
Austrian
Succession
King George’s
War
Fighting begins
when the King of
Austria dies
without a
successor
1744 - 1748
Treaty of Aix-laChapelle;
Colonies forced
to return
acquired land
The Seven Years’
The French-and-
1754 - 1763
Impact of the
War
Why is the French and Indian War
Considered to be the Prelude to the
American Revolution?
Why Does the War Begin?
• 1754 -- French forces are on the move in the Ohio
River Valley
• Colonists in the Northern and Middle Colonies feel
threatened
• 1754 – Seven colonies meet at the Albany Congress to
discuss union to counter the French threat
• 1754 – French forces begin building Fort Duquesne
• 1754 – Virginia sends a small force, led by George
Washington, into the Ohio River Valley
War breaks out for French territory
The Treaty of Paris -- 1763
“By the terms of the treaty, France renounced to Britain all
the mainland of North America east of the Mississippi,
excluding New Orleans and environs; the West Indian
islands of Grenada, Saint Vincent, Dominica, and Tobago;
and all French conquests made since 1749 in India or in the
East Indies. Britain, in return, restored to France the West
Indian islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Marie-Galante,
and Désirade; the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon off
Newfoundland; the West African colony of Gorée (Senegal);
and Belle-Île-en-Mer off Brittany; Britain also ceded Saint
Lucia to France. Spain at the same time recovered Havana
and Manila, ceded East and West Florida to the British, and
received Louisiana, including New Orleans, in
compensation from the French.”
Before and After 1763
Pontiac’s Rebellion -- 1763
“And We do further declare it to be Our Royal Will and
Pleasure, for the present as aforesaid, to reserve under
our Sovereignty, Protection, and Dominion, for the use
of the said Indians, all the Lands and Territories not
included within the Limits of Our said Three new
Governments, or within the Limits of the Territory
granted to the Hudson's Bay Company, as also all the
Lands and Territories lying to the Westward of the
Sources of the Rivers which fall into the Sea from the
West and North West as aforesaid.”
--- King George III,
The Proclamation of 1763
England’s Problems
• King George III is young, erratic, and desirous
of expanding royal powers
• British debt has doubled from 73 million
before 1754 to almost 137 million after 1763
• Britain owes nearly 5 million in interest alone
• 1763 – George Grenville is made Prime
Minister
And so begins our “road to
revolution…”