Hundred Years War American Imperialism

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The historically belligerent countries of France and Britain throughout much of the American conquest, created an intense climate of imperialism. A race triggered via dominance and political vengeance between the two kingdoms, the American colonies suffered from great internal struggles modeled in the shadow of the violent and volatile inputs of these great powers. Stemming from both, core ideologies like reason, sound governmental structure through democratic pathways, revolutionary freedoms for individuals, economic balance, religion, industrial technology advancements, and complex trade made headway in what the young United States would deem as national identity. The struggle to find this identity, along with who of the great European powers …show more content…

As the French-Indian alliance assaulted the colonies in response to skirmishes along the undefined borders; the initial “local affair” soon waged into an international conflict once the French, Austrian, and Swedish alliance bent on “crushing the rising power of Frederick the Great, king of Prussia” (USHistory.org) found the British-funded Prussian invasion of Saxony, ally of Austria (Hist,10), as an excuse to officiate the “Seven Years War”, also known as the “French and Indian War”. However, this realignment of European power brought not only support to the British troops in America, but staggering debt expected to be funded by the colonies as well. Notion not found favorable among the already irritated colonists; the orders placed by English secretary of state, William Pitt, created animosity amongst the English camp, as Brinkley evidences with the understandable, yet abusive troop housing, impressments, and the unpaid collection of resources from local farmers. All relaxed due to ‘threats to halt war effort’ because of them (86-87). The 1763 “Peace of Paris” finally gave Britain large concessions of land and maritime superiority, leaving France as much bitter as ready to intervene in the American Revolution