HIS1101 - Week2 Discussion

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South University *

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1101

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History

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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3

Uploaded by hershey66 on coursehero.com

Gain and Loss for Great Britain from the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War began because two powers, France and Great Britain, sought to conquer the New Land. Each was hunting for gold, silver, and a commercial route to Asia. Britain was also looking to expand colonization for its citizens. Great Britain suffered greatly as a result of the French and Indian War. Before the French and Indian War, France ruled what is now Canada. There was constantly a search for gold, silver, and a route to Asia for trade. "Great Britain possessed 13 colonies but wished to push westward. With the French attempting to push south, it was inevitable that the two countries would cross paths, as they did in the Ohio River Valley." Mullen (2017). This significant territory offered trading access to the Mississippi River and signaled the start of the French and Indian War, which lasted from 1756-1763. The full declaration of war came in 1756, at which point the countries sought support from natives. "The Natives chose to support the power that represented the lesser evil. "They began to see the benefits of competition between European powers." (HIS1101 U.S. History I, SU01). Despite the French's best efforts to earn favor with the Iroquois, as they did with the Huron and three other Native American tribes, the Iroquois decided to support Great Britain. This was due to the French's long-standing pact with the Huron. The Iroquois had not forgotten how the French helped the Huron during a previous conflict. Ultimately, "Indian population had diminished greatly due to war and disease" (HIS1101 U.S. History I SU01). Initially, the French were winning the war. William Pitt's appointment as British Secretary of State in 1757 marked a watershed moment. "Elder William Pitt, later the first Earl of Chatham, was the driving force behind the British victory in the Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War in North America" (Historical Eras, n.d., p. 2). He was the primary force behind this war, seizing authority for Great Britain. Pitt's "dream of a vast British empire" motivated him to win the war
"at any cost" (Mullen, 2017). Pitt's commitment to win the war at any cost meant precisely that. He borrowed to pay for the war in North America. By the end of the war, Great Britain had accrued a crippling amount of debt, and was unable to pay for its costly triumph over France. By January 1763, Great Britain's national debt had surpassed 122 million pounds [the British Monetary Unit], an extraordinary figure at the time. The annual interest on the debt exceeded 4.4 million pounds (Library of Congress Teachers, n.d.). Finding a way to repay this debt posed an issue of significant magnitude for the British. The King and his ministers became concerned over this matter, and is just one example of how war carried with it substantial cost. Maintaining order in America from across the Atlantic proved to be an enormous challenge for Great Britain. "The prospects for peaceful relations with Indian tribes were not good" (Library of Congress Teachers, n.d.). For the purpose of maintaining stability in America, Great Britain maintained a standing army, which resulted in conflict between colonists and natives. Maintaining the military not only exacerbated tensions, but it also required additional financing, which Great Britain did not have nor could afford. The debt had a significant impact on Great Britain, transferring the burden of implementing additional taxes to Americans. The impression was that Americans ought to assist in paying for the war because it ultimately benefited them. The citizens were aware that the war was being fought to boost Great Britain's empire, rather than for the benefit of  the people of America. From the start, Americans supplied commodities to the "Mother Country" that were then sold for profit, and was never proposed as an option, but rather imposed as a requirement. Great Britain began enforcing taxes without explaining the purpose or reasons behind why they were imposed. This was the final straw for Americans to declare war on Great Britain and liberate themselves from an oppressive government who was thousands of miles away. At the end of the Era, the Americans gained independence, but Great Britain remained in debt as a
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