Chapter6

TheDuelforNorthAmerica

1608–1763

I.FranceFindsaFootholdinCanada

• FrancewasalatecomerinthescrambleforNewWorldrealestate:– Itwasconvulsedbyforeignwarsanddomesticstrifeduringthe1500s.

– ItwasinvolvedinclashesbetweenRomanCatholicsandProtestantHuguenots.

– OnSt.Bartholomew’sDay,1572,over10,000Huguenots―men,women,andchildren―werebutcheredincoldblood.

I.FranceFindsaFootholdinCanada(cont.)

• 1598:EraoftheEdictofNantes:– Issuedbythecrown,itgrantedlimitedtolerationtoFrenchProtestants.

– Franceblossomed,ledbybrilliantministersandbyKingLouisXIV,whoreignedfor72years(1643–1715).

– FatefullyforNorthAmerica,hetookadeepinterestinoverseascolonies.

I.FranceFindsaFootholdinCanada(cont.)

• 1608:ThepermanentbeginningsofaFrenchempire(seeMap.6.1)wereestablishedatQuébec:– EffortswereledbySamueldeChamplain,“FatherofNewFrance.”

– HeestablishedfriendlyrelationshipswithHuronIndiantribes.

– HeenteredintoatreatywiththeHuronagainsttheIroquoistribesoftheupperNewYorkarea.

Map 6.1 p102

I.FranceFindsaFootholdinCanada(cont.)

• GovernmentofNewFrance(Canada)finallyfellunderdirectcontroloftheking.– Thisregimewasalmostcompletelyautocratic.– Thepeopleelectednorepresentativeassemblies.– Theydidnotenjoytherighttotrialbyjury,asintheEnglishcolonies.

I.FranceFindsaFootholdinCanada(cont.)

• ThepopulationofCatholicNewFrancegrewslowly:– Inthelate1750s,only60,000orsowhiteswereinNewFrance.

– LandowningFrenchpeasantshadlittlemotivetomove.– FrenchHuguenotsweredeniedarefuge.– TheFrenchgovernmentfavoreditsCaribbeanislands.

II.NewFranceFansOut

• NewFrancecontainedonevaluableresource—thebeaver:– Europeanfashion-settersvaluedbeaver-pelt

hats.– Colorfulcoureursdeboistrappedbeavers.– Theylitteredthelandwithscoresofplace

names:BatonRouge(redstick),TerreHaute(highland),DesMoines(somemonks).

II.NewFranceFansOut(cont.)

• FrenchvoyageursrecruitedIndiansintothefurbusiness(seeMap6.2):– TheIndianfurflotillathatarrivedinMontréalin

1693numbered400canoes.– ManyoftheseIndiansweredecimatedbythe

whiteman’sdiseasesandalcohol.– MassslaughterofbeaversviolatedmanyIndians’

religiousbeliefsandcausedecologicaldamage.

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Map 6.2 p103

II.NewFranceFansOut(cont.)

• Catholicmissionaries(Jesuits)triedtosaveIndiansforChristandfromfur-trappers:– SomesufferedtorturebyIndians.– Theyhadfewconvertsbutdidplayavitalroleas

explorersandgeographers.– Otherexplorerssoughtneithersoulsnorfur,but

empiretoblockEnglishandSpanishexpansion.

II.NewFranceFansOut(cont.)

• Frenchexplorers:– AntoineCadillacfoundedDetroit,“theCityof

Straits.”– RobertdeLaSallefloateddowntheMississippi

in1682towhereitmingleswiththeGulf.– Henamedtheinteriorbasin“Louisiana,”after

LouisXIV.– HefailedtofindtheMississippidelta,landedin

SpanishTexas,andin1687wasmurdered.

II.NewFranceFansOut(cont.)

• TheFrenchplantedseveralfortifiedpostsinwhatisnowMississippiandLouisiana:– NewOrleanswasfoundedin1718.– ThefortsinfertileIllinoiscountry(Kaskaskia,Cahokia,andVincennes)becamethegraingardenofFrance’sNorthAmericaempire.

III.TheClashofEmpires

• TheearliestcontestsamongEuropeanpowersforcontrolofNorthAmerica:– InKingWilliam’sWar(1689–1697)andQueen

Anne’sWar(1702–1713)(seeTable6.1),BritishcolonistsfoughtFrenchcoureursdebois.

– IndianalliesravagedSchenectady,NewYork,andDeerfield,Massachusetts(seeMap6.3).

Map 6.3 p104

Table 6.1 p104

III.TheClashofEmpires(cont.)

• Peaceterms,signedatUtrechtin1713,revealedhowbadlyFranceanditsSpanishallyhadbeenbeaten(seeMap.6.4):– BritaingainedFrench-populatedAcadia(whichtheBritishrenamedNovaScotia)aswellasNewfoundlandandHudsonBay.

– LossespinchedFrance’ssettlementsontheSt.Lawrenceandtherebysealedtheirultimatedoom.

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Map 6.4 p105

III.TheClashofEmpires(cont.)

• Americancoloniesthenexperienceddecadesof“salutaryneglect”—fertilesoilforrootsofindependence.

• BritishalsowonlimitedtradingrightsinSpanishAmerica,whichledtosmuggling.

• BritishcaptainRobertJenkinshadoneearslicedoffbyaSpanishofficial,whichledtotheWarofJenkins’sEarin1739.

III.TheClashofEmpires(cont.)

• TheWarofJenkins’sEarmergedwithlargerWarofAustrianSuccessioninEurope(seeTable6.2),calledKingGeorge’sWarinAmerica:– NewEnglanderswithhelpfromBritishnavycapturedLouisbourg,whichcommandedtheSt.LawrenceRiver(seeMap6.3).

– ButwasreturnedtoFrancebythetreatyof1748.– Francestillclungtoitsvastholdings.

IV.GeorgeWashingtonInauguratesWarwithFrance

• TheOhioValleybecamethechiefboneofcontentionbetweentheFrenchandBritish:– FortheBritish,itwasacriticalareaforwestward

movement.– TheFrenchneededittolinktheirCanadian

holdingstothoseofthelowerMississippiValley.– TheBritishcolonistsweredeterminedtofightfor

theireconomicsecurityandsupremacy.

Table 6.2 p106

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IV.GeorgeWashingtonInauguratesWarwithFrance(cont.)

• OhioValleyrivalryincreasedtensions:– TheFrencherectedachainoffortsalongtheOhio

River.– FortDuquesnewasatthepivotalpointwherethe

MonongahelaandAlleghenyRiversjointoformtheOhioRiver—thelatersiteofPittsburgh.

– In1754,thegovernorofVirginiasentyoungGeorgeWashingtontoOhioCountrytosecuretheVirginians’claim.

IV.GeorgeWashingtonInauguratesWarwithFrance(cont.)

• Inthisskirmish:–WashingtonmetsomeFrenchtroopsabout40milesfromFortDuquesne(Map6.5)andfired.

– Frenchleaderwaskilledandhismenretreated.– FrenchreturnedandsurroundedWashington.–Washington,after10-hoursiege,surrenderedbutwasallowedtomarchtroopsawaywithhonor.

– Inresponse,theBritishbrutallyuprootedFrenchAcadiansandscatteredthemasfarasLouisiana:descendantsare“Cajuns.”

Map 6.5 p107

V.GlobalWarandColonialDisunity

• First3Anglo-FrenchcolonialwarsstartedinEurope,butthe4thonestartedinAmerica:

• TheFrenchandIndianWar,startedbyWashingtonintheOhioValley(1754),widenedaftertwoyearsintotheSevenYears’WarinAmerica,Europe,theWestIndies,Africa,Philippines,andontheocean.

• TheSevenYears’Warwasa7-seawar(seeMap6.6).

Map 6.6 p108

V.GlobalWarandColonialDisunity(cont.)

• Thecrisisdemandedconcertedaction:– In1754,theBritishgovernmentsummonedanintercolonialcongresstometatAlbany,N.Y.

– Only7coloniessentdelegates.– TheimmediatepurposewastocontrolIroquoistribesloyaltoBritain.

– Thelonger-rangegoalwastoincreasecolonialunityandthusbolstercommondefenseagainstFrance.

V.GlobalWarandColonial Disunity(cont.)

• BenjaminFranklinwastheleadingspiritattheAlbanyCongress:– Hepublishedthefamouscartoon“Join,orDie.”– Hepresentedawell-devisedbutprematureschemeforcolonialhomerule.

– Albanydelegatesunanimouslyadoptedit.– Individualcoloniesrejectedit,asdidtheBritishgovernment.

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V.GlobalWarandColonialDisunity(cont.)

• Franklin’sscheme(cont.):– Tocolonists,itdidnotgiveenoughindependence.– TotheBritish,itgavetoomuch.– Franklinobservedthateveryoneagreedonneedforunion,butwere“distracted”whentheytriedtoagreeondetails.

VI.Braddock’sBlunderingandItsAftermath

• OpeningclashesofwarwentbadlyforBritish:– GeneralEdwardBraddockwassenttoVirginiawithastrongdetachmentofBritishregulars.

– Hesetoutin1755with2,000mentocaptureFortDuquesne.

– OnhiswayhemetasmallerFrenchandIndianarmy.

VI.Braddock’sBlunderingandItsAftermath(cont.)

• Openingclashes(cont.):–Washingtonhadtwohorsesshotfromunderhimandfourbulletspiercedhiscoat.

– Braddockwasfatallywounded.– TheBritishwereroutedandsufferedlargelosses.– Inflamedbyeasyvictory,IndianslaunchedassaultsfromPennsylvaniatoNorthCarolina.

–Washingtonwith300mentriedtodefendfrontier.– TheBritishexperienceddefeatafterdefeat.

VII.Pitt’sPalmsofVictory

• WilliamPittwasBritain'ssuperlativeleader:– Hewasknownasthe“GreatCommoner.”– 1757:HebecameakeyleaderintheLondongovernment.

– HedownplayedassaultsontheFrenchWestIndies.

– HeconcentratedonthevitalQuébec-MontréalareaofCanada.

– Hepickedyoungandenergeticmilitaryleaders.

VII.Pitt’sPalmsofVictory(cont.)

• WilliamPitt(cont.):– 1758:Hedispatchedanexpeditionthattook

Louisbourg,thefirstmajorBritishvictory.– HesentJamesWolfetotakeQuébec.– WolfebattledtheMarquisdeMontcalm’sforces

onthePlainsofAbrahamoutsideofQuébec.– Bothcommanderswerefatallywounded.– TheFrenchweredefeatedandQuébec

surrendered.

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VII.Pitt’sPalmsofVictory(cont.)

• BattleofQuébec(1759)wasoneofthemostsignificantbattlesinBritishandAmericanhistory:–WhenMontrealfellin1760,theFrenchflagflutteredforthelasttimeinCanada.

– TheTreatyofParisin1763displacedtheFrenchempirefromtheNorthAmericancontinent.

– TheFrenchwereabletomaintainseveralsmallbutvaluablesugarislandsintheWestIndies.

VII.Pitt’sPalmsofVictory(cont.)

• Francealsoreceivedtwonever-to-be-fortifiedisletsinGulfofSt.Lawrenceforfishingstations.

• Finalblow:FrancecededtoSpainalloftrans-MississippiLouisiana,includingNewOrleans(seeMap6.7).

• GreatBritainemergedas:– ThedominantpowerinNorthAmerica– Theleadingworldnavalpower

Map 6.7a p111

Map 6.7b p111

VIII.RestlessColonists

• Britain’scolonistsemergedwithincreasedconfidenceintheirmilitarystrengthandskill.– 20,000colonistswereunderarmsatwar’send.– WarshatteredthemythofBritishinvincibility.– Displayingthecontemptofprofessionalsoldiers,

theBritishrefusedtorecognizeanyAmericanmilitiacommissionabovetherankofcaptain.

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VIII.RestlessColonists(cont.)

• Britishofficialsweredistressedbyreluctanceofsomecoloniestosupportthewarwholeheartedly.

• Somecolonies,self-centeredandalienatedbytheirdistancefromwar,refusedtoprovidetroopsandmoneyfortheconflict.

• Coloniesstillexhibitedstrongtendenciestowarddisunity.

VIII.RestlessColonists(cont.)

• Butunityamongcoloniesreceivedsomeencouragementduringthewar:–Whensoldiersandstatesmenfromdifferentcoloniesmet,theydiscoveredtheywereallAmericanswhospokethesamelanguageandsharedcommonideals.

– Acoherentnationcouldemerge,butitwouldnotbeeasy.

IX.War’sFatefulAftermath

• RemovalofFrenchmenaceinCanadaprofoundlyaffectedAmericanattitudes:– InasensehistoryoftheUnitedStatesbegan

withthefallofQuébecandMontréal.– SpanishandIndianthreatsweresubstantially

reduced.– SpanishremovalfromFloridaandFrench

removalfromCanadadeprivedIndiansofpotentialalliestooutsetgrowingBritishpower.

IX.War’sFatefulAftermath (cont.)

• Pontiac’suprisingbyOttawaChiefPontiac:– LaidsiegetoDetroitin1763andoverranallbutthreeBritishpostswestoftheAppalachians.

– Killedsome2,000soldiersandsettlers.– Britishretaliatedswiftlyandcruellywithaprimitiveversionofbiologicalwarfare.

– Pontiacdiedin1769athandsofarivalchieftain.• ColonistswerenowfreetocrossAppalachianMountainsandtakewesternlands.

IX.War’sFatefulAftermath (cont.)

• ButLondonissuedtheProclamationof1763,whichbannedsettlementbeyondtheAppalachians(seeMap6.8).– BritainonlywantedtoavoidanotherbloodyIndianuprising.

• Butangrycolonistsfloutedtheproclamation.• Thestagewassetforconflict:– Thecolonistsrefusedtoberestrained.– Britishgovernmentwasfrustratedwithcolonies.

Map 6.8 p114

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