Effects of the French & Indian War

The French and Indian War represented a major turning point in history – not only for the United States but for the whole world. The fact that the British, following the war, failed to treat the Americans as equals and the quick French recovery were all essential aspects which contributed to American history – and both came together to fuel the revolution. The treatment of the Americans as inferior by the British led to the resentment of British rule whilst the quick recovery of the French allowed the French to assist the Americans in their struggle for.

The English reliance and partnership with the Americans to fight the French and Indian War followed by the treatment of the Americans as inferior was most likely the key factor in the French and Indian War which itself sparked revolution. As is evidenced by “The Real First World War and the Making of America,” Pitt treated “the colonies not as subordinates but as allies. This policy precipitated a surge of patriotism among the colonists.” This allowed the “British commanders to assemble a force of 45,000 British troops and American militiamen” (“America, A Narrative History”). Even though this large force and the enthusiasm of the Americans to voluntarily help out in the war allowed the British to win a decisive victory, Anderson explains that “the war had seemed to damage the vanquished less than it did the victor.” This was because following the war effort, the Americans were not treated as companions and partners in the war. Instead, “the empire’s administrators moved to reassert the pre-war hierarchy” making the colonists react “first with shock, then with fury” (“The Real First World War and the Making of America”). The treatment of the Americans with kindness when the British required help and then with contempt once they no longer needed the help of the Americans fuelled feelings of resentment against the British from the side of the Americans. The power which the British were using to rule over the Americans more harshly than before was only existent due to the fact that the British had been helped by the Americans. The Americans were angered at their treatment as a resource which could be moulded, mistreated and exploited simply to fit what was the best for the British mother country. The French and Indian War allowed the selfish nature of the British towards the Americans to surface, thereby creating a major turning point – as the Americans began to think and plan for revolution.

The French and Indian War also had a second component which contributed to making it such an important cornerstone in American history. The French came out of the war as the ones who lost, but the country “recovered with remarkable speed. Because the British chose to return the profitable West Indian sugar islands to France and to retain Canada, always a sinkhole for public funds, French economic growth resumed at pre-war rates” (“The Real First World War and the Making of America”). Even though France had used resources in the war it hadn’t gone into debt. It had also been able to keep its key sources of money from the New World – the sugar islands – whilst losing places where its money had been wasted (such as Canada). This allowed the nation of France to develop much more quickly economically than Britain which now needed to not only pay off debts from the war but also manage all of the new inhabitants of its colonies and cater for the needs of Canada. The fast development of France was essential towards the American Revolution – as was the fact that the French and Indian War had made the British and the French bitter rivals. This rivalry inspired the French to take revenge on the British, and they used their large amount of resources to help the American cause and helped the Americans win independence from Britain. By fuelling the American Independence movement, the French negatively impacted the British (since the American colonies were a key part of Britain’s economy and power), allowing them to get revenge for the earlier British victory in the French and Indian War.

In conclusion, the French and Indian War was definitely a turning point for the history of the United States. Through the arrogant and selfish attitude of the British, the Americans gravitated towards independence, the unfairness shown by the British empire towards them driving them into rage. The French loss of certain territory which was not cost effective (and the allowance to keep the Sugar Islands) allowed the nation to prosper and was also essential – the French helped the Americans win independence from the British, indirectly impacting their bitter rivals, the British.

Works Cited

1. Fred Anderson, "The Real First World War and the Making of America," American Heritage, November–December 2005, http://www.americanheritage.com/content/real-first-world-war-and-making- america?page=show

2. Emory Shi, David. America: A Narrative History. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.