American And British History: The French And Indian War

The French and Indian War had a lasting impact on both American and British history. The debt caused by the French and Indian War caused Britain and America to have uneasy political, economical, and ideological relations. The two powers clashed heavily on freedom, taxation, and government. These tense relations will lead to the American Revolution.

The French and Indian War was fought from 1754 to 1763. During this war, the British and colonists fought against the French and the Indians. The British had have rivalries with the French since medieval time. This war is the first war that started in America, however this war would go overseas because of alliances. Britain was allied with Prussia, and France was allied with Spain, Austria, and

It is a belief that power lies in wealth, therefore the political and military power of a country is measured by their silver and gold in their treasury. Mercantilism holds the belief that the colonies exist to help the mother country. The mother country uses the colonies for the exportation of items that they do not need. Trading back and forth between the mother country and the colonies made sure that the wealth and materials stayed within the country. The colonies provided Britain with sailors and ships. They also traded goods. Britain discouraged them from trading with other countries, and they had to keep the silver and gold in the empire. Britain gave the colonies manufactured products. The Navigation Laws that were set in 1750 enforced mercantilism. It restricted the colonies’ abilities to trade with other countries. The colonies also had restricted on manufacturing within the colonies. This kept the British from having competition. Although these laws were set in place, they were not strictly enforced until 1763. The laws became more enforced because the war cost Britain a fortune. Britain was in debt so they decided that the colonies had to pull their own weight. (Doc. F) This angered the colonies greatly. They felt there were just being used. Britain wanted the colonies to pay for a third of the British soldiers in the colonies. The British began to pass many different

At this time, neither of the two parties had the idea of independence on their minds. The colonists were just upset that their rights are British colonists were being ignored. They believed that Parliament had the right to create laws that were for both Britain and the colonies, but they could not tax the colonists. Since Parliament did not have representation from the colonies, they said that they could only be taxed by local governments in the colonies. This is referred to as actual representation. The British believed in virtual representation. They argued that Parliament represented all the British citizens, which is not true. They did not think that they should have local governments. Their ideologies crashed because the colonists believed they did not have enough freedom, while the British believed they were giving them too much. The soldiers in the colonies began to view themselves as Americans because they felt that they were being treated worse. They have started to stray away from the British. (Doc.D)The popular viewpoint of the colonists was that of actual representation, however some citizens believed that they should remain loyal to the king. George Washington writes in a letter stating his desire to serve the general as his aide-de-camp. In this letter he refers to himself and the other colonists as British colonists. This