How did the French and Indian War help to cause the American Revolutionary War....?

Question

it is sometimes observed that the roots of future wars lie in the results of past wars....how does this appear for the above question....?

Answer 1

There were actually a whole SERIES of changes in Britain's behavior toward its colonies as a result of the French & Indian War, which sowed the seeds of discontent and finally rebellion.

1)
For one thing (NOT the only thing), as many have noted, war debts to be paid off resulted in new taxes on the colonies -- but not JUST out of need, but because they thought it "only fair" that the colonies should pay for their own defense

2)
before the F & I War Britain had not been paying so much attention to the colonies -- following a policy of "benign neglect"-- and the colonies had become, in practice, very independent in governing themselves in their local affairs.. as well as trading fairly freely. There were duties on the BOOKS, but they were largely unenforced.

After the F & I War the British changed this policy.. and it came as a shock. The change was, again, PARTLY due to the felt need for revenues to pay fo the war and colonial defense needs after the war.

But it was ALSO the case that Parliament and the King had all along believed they had the RIGHT to levy such taxes, etc. So once they BEGAN to do so, and the colonies reacted against these taxes (esp. their response to the Stamp Act), the leaders of the British government felt impelled to ENFORCE their authority

3)
Many of the taxes involved were DUTIES, and the authority issue included that of the British government to dictate trade arrangements to the benefit of the mother country, limiting who they could trade with, etc.

After the F&I War they started trying to exercise THIS authority as well... which they had NOT been doing. Hence, the colonial merchants (esp. traders) were hemmed in, no longer enjoying their earlier freedom in trade (incluing smuggling that was technically illegal but had not, for some time, been actively opposed by Britain).

4)
to avoid further troubles on the borders, esp. to keep the Indians satisfied, Britain issued a Proclamation forbidding settlements beyond the Appalachians.... an area the colonists were already spreading into (and that land surveyors and speculators, like Washington) were already laying claim to. So the colonies were not happy abou that.

5)
related to this, Britain LEFT a number of soldiers in the colonies for their defense, and mostly in the east coast cities -- which began to grate on the locals who were expected to support them... and the more so since the colonies were proud (a bit beyond what was due) in how they felt THEIR militia troops had performed in the French & Indian War, and did not feel their need of British troops

Also, with the French gone from the border territories, the colonists did not feel threatened in the same way, did not feel that they NEEDED the protection of the British armies

Answer 2

There are several reasons that I have seen in history books I have read recently. 1. The F&I War mobilized the local militias, equipped them better, and gave them field experience. That organization and confidence was essential for the Radicals, to form a revolution at all. 2. The Colonial troops were treated as second-class soldiers by the British "Regulars." This resentment and frustration alienated many able soldiers, including George Washington. 3. Alliances of the various Indian tribes made a huge difference. The Colonial Army's first major campaign was into upstate New York and Pennsylvania, to punish the five tribes of the Iriquois Nation that had allied with the British. 4. Colonial military units were granted land in upstate NY after the F&I War. An entire unit (company, regiment) would colonize a township. That was effective because the colonists already knew and trusted each other, could fight off the Indians, and had an organizational structure. These colonies in the fertile Mohawk Valley (known as the Military Townships) quickly became a farming breadbasket, and one of the prizes of the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, about half of these farmers and their families remained loyal and the other half joined the Revolution, creating a bloody, personal civil war in NY. 5. Dominance of the British over the French - with the Brits now entrenched in Upper Canada (Ontario), there was a British base of operations outside the New England Federation, and a destination for Loyalist refugees. 6. The financial burden incurred by the F&I War prompted taxes to fund an army in North America, and these taxes were part of what the radicals found "intolerable."

Answer 3

The French and Indian War helped to cause the American Revolutionary War by causing the British to go into extreme debt in which caused them to tax the American colonists which outraged them a lot and after the Stamp Tax,Sugar Tax, and many more the Americans started rebelling starting with the Boston Tea Party then among many other things Britain sent troops and soon they marched to Lexington and Concord looking for arms stashes and important leaders thus Starting the Revolutionary War.

Answer 4

The British won the war but had to pay heavy war debts. So to collect this money, they put taxes on the colonists. Sugar Act 1764, Quartering Act 1765, Stamp Act 1766, Boston Massacre 1770, Tea Act 1773, Boston Tea Party 1773, First Continental Congress 1774, Lexington and Concord (shot heard round the world) 1775. This then started the full out war. Colonists upset at British for taxes, and then when Thomas Paine wrote Comme Sense Jan 1776, that set everyone off and eventually the Declaration was formed and signed.

Answer 5

French Indian War was a war with French and Indians against the British. The British won the war, but put them in debt. They had to tax the colonists heavely to pay for the war. The colonists didn't think this was fair they did the Boston Tea Party. And then the King got mad, closed off the ports, resulting in the war starting

Answer 6

Hello,

Well the British treasury was reduced to nil after the Brits spent 40 years driving the French from North America. The wars had to be payed for somehow so it came in the form of new taxes. Certainly taxation without represntation was a legitimate gripe but it is funny how school books through to Walt Disney concerning movies about the revolutionary war convienetly seem to forget this.

But at least, the few posts above me who beat me to the punch sure seem to get the drift of my point!

Cheers,

Michael

Answer 7

The Seven Years' War(i) (1754 and 1756–1763), incorporating the Pomeranian War and the French and Indian War, enveloped both European and colonial theaters. The war was described by Winston Churchill as the first world war,[1] as it was the first conflict in human history to be fought around the globe, although most of the combatants were either European nations or their overseas colonies. It is estimated that between 900,000 and 1,400,000 people died.

out come was far less conclusive in the Americas although the France lost much of their possessions in the Americas they were very well disposed to try and gain them back by helping the uprising by the American Colonies.

Answer 8

In addition to taxation, another way the the F & I War helped cause the the ARW was through the training and equiping of formerly untrained civilians in the colonies. As a result of the F & I War the colonies acquired the knowledge necessary to mount a successful campaign. Not only did they learn how to fight a war in their own land, but they learned how to build, equip and supply an army. In addition, the training many colonist received as officers during the F & I War seved them well. To see how some of that training was acquired, read an account of Washington's battle at Fort Necessity.

Answer 9

are you writing a paper?