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In many ways the French and Indian War changed the dynamics of British rule in the American colonies. The War and its aftermath set the stage for the British Parliament to attempt to reel in the American colonies, which they had mistakenly allowed too much freedom in their own affairs. A look at the colonies during the period highlights the influence of the French and Indian War on the coming American Revolution.

Introduction

Of primary consideration are the differences in how European countries approached the settlement of their colonies in the New World. The French and Spanish sent men to colonize their recently acquired holdings on the American continent. Because they were alone, they formed attachments and intermarried with the Native Americans. Hence, the French had a relationship that encouraged Native Americans to join in a war to expel the British.

England tended to send families to settle their colonies. The presence of wives and children caused the British to view Native Americans as a threat to safety and caused them to be adversarial, desiring to force the Native Americans away from English settlements. This attitude precipitated the practice of expelling Native Americans in order to take their land.

The First British Mistake

The case can be made that the American Revolution was an urban revolt. Cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Charleston were a major part of the British mercantile system. Under the system, resources taken from the colonies were shipped to Great Britain, where they were processed into finished goods and then sold back to the colonists at a profit. The profits earned by Great Britain allowed the British Parliament to be somewhat lax in how it conducted business with the colonies.

Because of the distance and time involved in making legislative decisions, cities were allowed a great deal of self rule. The Parliament became more of an advisory body than a legislative entity. While they were still part of the British Administrative structure, and outwardly things looked like the system worked well, underneath the surface dissent grew .

Three things occurred during the period leading up to the French and Indian War that altered thinking in the colonies. First, the British were not interested in the day-to-day management of the colonies and allowed them to develop their own governments, including the control of taxing policy and paying of their own bills.

Secondly, colonial merchants began to work around the Navigational Acts and

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