Why Was The French And Indian War A Turning Point

489 Words2 Pages

There were many events that caused the colonists to declare their independence from Britain, and none are the sole trigger. However, some events played a key role, and had a greater effect than the others. The French and Indian War is the strongest yet of these. The war itself raised debts, while the aftereffects brought tensions nearly uncalled for, and great disagreements with Parliament. From there, the colonists began to view themselves less and less as British subjects. The French and Indian War was the turning point that created the new country of the United States.

The war itself put great strain on Britain. For example, Discovery states, “Much of the war effort had been paid for with borrowed money.” Fighting the French and Indians was not easy, and cause a great deal of money to be used. This means that taxes from the people being protected needed to be paid. Such taxes were the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Act. Consequently, these acts were greatly dislike by the colonists, …show more content…

Accordingly, this meant many more subjects to rule, many unwilling. As shown is Discovery, “Many [Native Americans] were willing to use violence to block English Colonists…” In the time after the western land was gained, Indians attacked multiple settlements and forts to show their dislike of the English. To amend this, the King and Parliament issued the Proclamation of 1763 that forbid any colonists from settling on land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Conversely, “...colonists remained eager to discover new lands.” As read in Discovery Education. More soldiers were sent to protect the colonists as well, and their taxes paid for the provided protection. The Quartering Act also helped house any soldiers without barracks. From these taxes and so called “unfair acts”, many rallies occurred, cries of “No taxation without representation!” being a common