by Tim Harry

Created on: July 29, 2008   Last Updated: August 26, 2008

Following a cessation of fighting, the French and Indian War had transformed the whole ownership of the North American continent. The French and Spanish were left with almost negligible amounts of land, whilst the rest of the land mass was in the control of the British. Through one war Britain had gained a whole new continent in which to promote their ideas of trade and colonisation.

Commencing in 1754 the French and Indian War was the decisive war in shaping the land ownership of North America. Prior to 1754, the continent had been divided between the British colonies and New France. There was though open land whose ownership was in dispute. One such area was the Ohio River area, a land that British investors and politicians saw a great deal of profit in if settled. The land though was also claimed by the French, who quickly established fortifications to defend any French settlers in the region.

It was impossible for both nations to cohabit the area, and so British troops were sent in to try and push the French out of the area. Britain ended up losing initial skirmishes, although eventually in 1755 properly trained troops were sent in under the leadership of Edward Braddock. The French still had the majority of the successes during the early stages of the war, it was though a front of the Seven years' War that the French paid little attention to, concentrating instead on European battlefields. The British though poured men and resources into North America and were eventually successful in defeating the French.

Aside from the battle of Signal Hill in 1762, the majority of the fighting in the French and Indian War had ceased in 1760. The end of the war though was not confirmed until the Treaty of Paris was signed in February 1763. The Treaty confirmed the loss of almost all of France's territory in North America, in fact all that remained of New France, was the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, islands situated off of the coast of Newfoundland. The French even lost Louisiana to the Spanish, the Spanish having been presented with the area as recompense for the loss of Florida to the British. Britain found that it had almost total control of North America, including control over all of French Canada.

As far as Treaties go, the Treaty of Paris was not all that bad for the French. The loss of land was of course a blow, but at the same time they were allowed to hold on to Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, both of which had been occupied by the British

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>