by Nick Maziarka

Created on: July 14, 2009   Last Updated: July 30, 2009

The "Great War for Empire"

In the midst of the struggle by many nations -including Britain, Spain, and France - to establish and maintain colonies in North America, one influential battle began in 1754. This battle, known as the French and Indian War, proved to be quite the lengthy competition between Britain and the French, aided by select Native American peoples. Such a long fight does not go without certain strong causes and convictions, however. Both the English and French took the War very seriously, believing its outcome to be key in maintaining their respective empires. Since each side fought for the ultimate goal of finding expansion for its domain, the title of the "Great War for Empire" seems perfectly suitable for the French and Indian War.

An empire, first and foremost, is, essentially, a state that attempts to and successfully extends dominion over another area politically and even culturally. Thus, any empire must be taking over a foreign land. In addition, that land and any of its assets must be advantageous to the empire's general agenda. Considering that colonial America was a foreign land for Britain and France, the battle fought by both for America must be at least somewhat empirical.

Britain's intent during the French and Indian War furthers the idea that the "mother country" could easily be described as some type of empire. For one, the nation's most basic desire in the continued colonization of America remained large-scale royal expansion. The British Crown sought to gain political power, as well as economic power, through increasing settlement and stability in the New World. Taking cultural implications of empirical activity into account, the British also wanted to prevent the spread of Roman Catholicism in America while fighting the French and Indian War. The British, predominantly Protestant, deeply wanted to stunt the development of the French Roman Catholicism present then in upper North America. Overall, the English sought to reinforce their governmental virtues, as well as their social virtues in a land other than Britain, itself.

The French empirical agenda does, however, pale in comparison to that of the English. France was not deeply concerned with any religious influence it could make in America through colonization. The main concern with the French was actually economically related. Fur trade was a quickly developing means of income for France during the 1700s. America, containing numerous beaver and other animals, provided

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>