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Causes for the French and Indian War

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There were many reasons for the French and Indian war to erupt. One being expansions from the British Colonies in the west territory made the French uncomfortable. This territory they fought over was called the Ohio Territory, which both the British and the French wanted a piece of. The French saw it as necessary for it to be their land since they had arrived there before the British, but the British saw things differently. They took over their trading posts and destroyed villages to try and push the English out. However, these acts of rebellion did not make the English stray away from the Appalachians. The American colonists proposed the idea of an army to take down the French’s rule but were denied time after time.

The king felt as if their motives were unclear and possibly quite costly with high risk. The King was resilient until the French constructed Fort Duquesne, by what would now modern day Pittsburgh, so the king saw out there requests and approved an army. The Virginia militia’s job was to then clear out the Ohio territory of all the French, but the French refused and stood there ground. Major George Washington was the commander of the Virginia militia. Even though they refused to give up the sought land, Washington lacked the numbers to take matters into his own hands and force the French out. Washington returned close to a year later with more men and firepower and set up a fort nearby called Fort Necessity. The French noticed the fort and quickly captured it from Washington and his militia in 1756. This forceful act from the French stirred tensions to a boiling point between them and the colonists; both sides knew war was near. King George II soon after declared war against the American colonists.

Mercantilism played a big role in the colonies of Britain. Mercantilism played a role in the colonies on these such as, production and trade, slave trade, and inflation and taxation. Mercantilism controlled production and trade by putting in trade destructions in the colonies. These trade restrictions affected colonial expansion and business by changing how they trade and who they trade with. Many colonists were angered at these restrictions, as it was a clear violation on their human rights. England also founded the Navigation Acts which made the colonists rely more on British products rather than any external manufactured items in 1661. The British officials also made it so products like sugar, tobacco, cotton, and indigo could only be sold to British merchants, furthermore restricting the colonists again. Slave trade was also at an all-time high after the war. African imperialists would give away their people to slavery in return for items like sugar cane and molasses.

Places like America and the West Indies became triangulated in the trade system with Africa and the Indies. The colonists also offered alcohol and cotton to the African slave traders: two products Africa were in desperate need for. The war also came with many financial downsides. One being inflation of their currency soon after the war because of compensation. The British also wanted trade in items like gold and bullion, trying to find balance of trade throughout the colonies. They printed excessive amounts of money which caused a financial crisis throughout the colonies. Another huge problem that stemmed from the war was taxation. Since the British needed to pay off debt acquired from the war they created tax laws that aggravated the colonists. The colonists saw this as an unjust and unlawful decision from parliament. In conclusion, mercantilism not only affected the colonists, but also gave colonists reasons to go to war.

James Oglethorpe did a very good job at making Georgia different than any of the other colonies, here are some reasons why. Georgia was started by parliament and was funded by parliament to get things moving in the colony. It was started to protect the South Carolina colony from French forces. Georgia was also the only colony, out of twelve, to have a ban on slavery throughout the colony. Georgia had also placed a ban on the distribution of alcohol. The colony was also completely governed by what were known0 as trustees, which were the leaders of the colony such as Oglethorpe. The settles had zero control of the rules put in place by the trustees. Oglethorpe wanted Georgia to be a refugee of sorts to criminals and debtors from England. He also made it so there was no vast areas of land owned by one family, and made sure there was no slave trade or rum.

Another reason Georgia was built is for defense. Parliament added Georgia to the colonies for not only refuge and economics but also for defense against the French. Another reason for the founding of Georgia was Mercantilism. They wanted Georgia to be an agricultural center point. The plan was for Georgia to grow and trade that England could not themselves. Some of these products were crops like rice, but the most valuable plant that came from Georgia was silk. Even though Georgia set aside certain land for the production of silk they still failed to meet their expectations of growth. Oglethorpe also intended on making allies with the Yamacraw Indians for their trade and protection. He eventually did make alliance with the Yamacraw tribe and made great friends with Tom chichi, the tribe’s leader. This ally helped Georgia fend off the Spaniards on multiple occasions. In conclusion He fulfilled many of his goals but came short on some, such as silk production.

References

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Causes for the French and Indian War. (2021, Oct 25). Retrieved from https://samploon.com/causes-for-the-french-and-indian-war/

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