Social Studies Notes

1. 8.1 – FIGHT FOR
CONTROL

2. Conflicting Claims
 Three countries claimed ownership of land in
North America:
 France: Northern and central regions
 England: East Coast
 Spain: Southern region
 Ohio River Valley
 Region between Mississippi and Ohio
River
 Claimed by both England and France
 France wanted control of Mississippi River
and sent troops to push out British
 England viewed this as an act of war

3. The French and Indian War Begins
 1754
 Alliances
 A formal agreement between
two groups or people
 Both French and British had
many Native American
alliances
 The colonies sent delegates
to decide how to handle the
war
 Delegate – representative
 They decided not to take
action together as a
country
 George Washington led the
British forces to win the first
battle of the French and
Indian War at Fort Necessity

4. The War Expands
 British were trained to fight in open
fields and they wore bright red
uniforms
 Lost many battles in the first 5 years
 As the war moved to Europe, Britain
began winning in the Americas
 Treaty of Paris
 1763
 Document agreeing to end the war
 France surrendered all lands East of the
Mississippi River and surrendered Spanish
Florida

5. More Troubles
 Colonists wanted to settle the new lands they had
won
 Native Americans already lived there
 Chief Pontiac unified Native Americans and
they captured British Forts
 King George III made the Proclamation of 1763
 Proclamation – public announcement
 All land west of the Appalachian Mountains
would belong to the Native Americans.
 White settlers in the Appalachian Region were
told to leave
 Colonists ignored the proclamation and
stayed

6.  British budget was hurting after the war
 Budget: plan for spending money
 Parliament (British gov’t) began taxing colonists to pay for
the war debts
 Parliament passed The Sugar Act
 Sugar Act placed a tax on sugar and molasses from the
Caribbean
 The act hurt shipping industries badly, who could not
afford the tax
 Colonists began speaking out against the taxes
Paying for the War

8. Discussion Questions:
 What caused the French and Indian War?
 Why do you think colonists wanted to settle in the lands west of the Appalachian
Mountains?
 Why do you think colonists were so upset about the Proclamation of 1763 and the
Sugar Act?
 What was the purpose of taxing the colonists?
 The French soldiers learned how to fight like Native Americans. Why do you think
they chose to do this instead of fighting out in fields like they normally would?