How Did The French And Indian War Shaped America's Identity

Improved Essays
After Britain's victory in the French and Indian War, it had a stronghold on the colonies. Britain controlled where colonists settled, how they traded, and the way states were governed. The colonies craved freedom and wanted to fight for their rights to make decisions without another country restricting them. The French and Indian War marked the beginning of America's identity because it forced the frustrated colonies to rebel and take their own steps to becoming an independent nation.

Britain had collected a massive amount of debt after the war, and decided that America should help pay for it. Multiple taxes on the colonies were put in place, including taxes on sugar and paper products. Frustration grew as colonies were forced to house and

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Thirteen Colonies Dbq

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages

    For example, every time they wanted to buy a Will or a newspaper, there was a big increase of tax involved. The tax went right back to Britain. In fact, there was a set of laws passed called the Townshend Acts. These acts included a tax on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea imported into the colonies. These laws…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1763 Dbq Analysis

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages

    By the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Britain was largely in debt, provoking them to balance their funds by taxing the colonists to raise revenue as well as limiting the colonists to reduce expenses. This caused an uproar in the colonies, sparking a sense of American nationalism and promoting cooperation between them. After the war, the blissful period of Salutary Neglect came to an end which angered the colonists since laws were now being more strictly enforced, and Britain became more involved in its economic and political affairs. The British thought the colonies were “more indispensable” especially if there would be a “vast increase in territory and population” (Doc F).…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian war created a dispute between the British and the North American colonists in North America. The colonists fought against the British over the land boundaries and the Royal proclamation. The colonists and the British fought for many years desperate to Acquire land and create the economy that was the best functioning. The French and Indian War was caused because of the tensions between the English colonists and the French who both wanted to settle in the Ohio River Valley. Although the French began building Forts to protect their land mass, the British demanded the French leave and they refused.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    King George Dbq

    • 1608 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A- Plan of investigation Research Question: To what extent was King George acting like a tyrant to the American colonists? Method: The investigation will look into primary sources, such as the taxes that were issued during that time and analyze the legitimacy behind the taxes. In addition to some books that will be discussed that were written regarding the American colonists.…

    • 1608 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian War marked a major turning point in American relations with Great Britain, with changes such as increased British control and anti-British sentiment in the colonies, but also continuities such as loyalty to Britain that remained largely untouched by the war. The Sugar Act and the Stamp Act helped pay for war debt, the Passage of Proclamation 1763 prevented movement across the Appalachians, which presented a problem, and the Albany Plan of Union which was used to centralize a government. All of these were important aspects of the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was a major victory for the British, but left them in so much debt that they passed these acts.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    War Of 1812 DBQ Essay

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Defeating the British, America showed that since she doesn't allow tyranny from within, tyranny from without would not be tolerated. Words and treaties were not enough; the British wanted a war and that is what America gave…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At the beginning of the French and Indian War, Britain and the American Colonies had a good relationship, Britain ruled over the Colonies but the colonies did not mind because Britain provided many lucrative trading opportunities for the American Colonies. The American colonies were for the most part only benefitting from Britain, that is until the end of the French and Indian war when Parliament passed many taxes and acts. After Britain began imposing unfair treaties and taxes some of the American Colonists began to not appreciate Britain as much as before. The American Colonies started to grow apart from Britain because the colonists believed in the idea of no taxation without representation. The colonists were outraged with the Sugar Act, Quartering Act, the Stamp Act and the…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It led to smuggling and the act of evading taxes and regulation resulting in a corrupt economy changing the British’s American Colonists viewpoint. Next debt after the French and Indian War had affected the relationship between the two. After the war, the British had gained control over a great deal of land. Managing their territory in America and in Europe required an abundance of money. It’s “American colonies now cost considerably more money to garrison and administer” (12).…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As the British tried to gain revenue, they ended up angering the colonists and beginning the decade of uneasy relations. The defying of the Royal Proclamation, the attacks by the Sons of Liberty, the Boston Tea Party, and the Boston Massacre all represent significant resistances to British supremacy in the Americas. Also, these events were key factors in the increasing American identity and push for independence. The hostile environment that the French and Indian War created directly led to the American Revolutionary War and was not settled until after American Independence. The British could not effectively monitor the colonists and ended up destroying their own hold on the continent by trying to deny liberties and enforce their…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The French and Indian war altered the Britain and American colonies in a political way because Britain took control of the whole eastern coastline and because they abandoned the policy of Salutary Neglect, it affected economically because Britain raised its taxes on the colonies, and ideologically because the raisings…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With England closing an eye to trading, many colonists were able to smuggle foreign goods in. It was much cheaper than going the proper way through English imports and illegal. Until the French and Indian War, economically things flourish by being self sufficient. This war changes the attitude that America and England had with each other. During the salutary neglect, colonists did as they pleased without bothering Britain.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The War of 1812 made a huge impact on America 's identity as an independent and powerful nation. Before the war, Britain made no attempts to control America, or even communicate. The two nations lived separately in peace, with a few disturbances, but mostly no contact. However, when the Napoleonic Wars started in Europe, Britain needed more troops to be victorious against France. To solve this problem, Britain took advantage of America as if they were still under control, and captured any American sailors they could find.…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    As their survival became less uncertain, the American colonies lived fairly autonomous lives. Many British settlers sought the New World as a land of freedom, where they could govern themselves instead of suffer under the religion of the King. This autonomy disappeared after the war between France and Britain, known in America as the French and Indian War. The costs of war drove Britain into debt, and it began to take notice of its colonies as a source for potential income. They began to tax the colonists, but would not grant them any official representation.…

    • 1425 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Consequently, Colonists in the 13 states suffered higher expenditures, even imported tea would cost more than usual. All 13 colonies were instructed to pay higher taxes, however, Parliament…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    If Britain had defeated America, France would have lost important American resources. Not only did France want to see Britain lose because of their loss to them in the ‘7 Years War’ but France controlled the sugar and rum producing islands of Guadeloupe and Haiti which opened up major doors to America as trading partners. Another major change seen in Europe that was caused by the American Revolution was in Britain. Britain had lost to America in the revolution and therefore was in heavy debt and in a troubled state, one that many other European countries saw as an opportunity for their own gain.…

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays