War That Made America, Essay Example

The French and Indian War, as portrayed by Fred Anderson, was a fight between three empires that contributed to the formation of America. Beginning with the Iroquois and the Abenaki in New France, he details how the conflict gradually expanded until British settlers battled French miners on American soil. Anderson concludes by tracing the war’s consequences for small groups of settlers who died or settled along its length[1]. The war profoundly impacted all aspects of American life, from politics and culture to local economies and demographics. While this paper focuses mainly on its role as a force for shaping national identity and instilling an understanding of the frontier, it also synthesizes material related to other parts of America’s past, such as slavery, migration patterns, women in society, economic relationships between nations and individuals, the role of farms during wartime periods.

The war was a turning point in history. Many countries got involved and supplied both sides with military forces and support. Before this war, only Native Americans were fighting in battle, but after the French won, many British colonies joined them, causing them to become one of the largest powers in the world at that time. The British colonies still wanted independence, or so they thought; after several battles, they were winning and made peace just to be beaten by the colonists again[2]. This war helped people see how greatly Britain needed to change how they were doing things because before this war, they were getting away with treating native Americans unfairly; if they weren’t getting paid or didn’t want to work for them, then why should they care? Now that their economy was failing, this feeling made them think about what their country might look like in five years if their economic situation kept worsening like their ancestors had told them was going to happen.

During the war, which served as a prelude to the American Revolution, the American colonies waged their initial struggle for independence against the authority of the British crown. The beginning of the war was precipitated by a dispute on the drawing of geographical boundaries. This conflict was sparked when France attempted to extend its territory further north into Canada. After Britain defeated the French fleet at Halifax in 1805, George Washington led a colonial militia force from Virginia to Quebec City, where he laid siege to Fort Duquesne for seven weeks before French support for Native Americans forced him to abandon the campaign[3]. The war ended with treaties recognizing French claims northward along the Ohio River basin.

The English colonies wanted to expand their territory and resources; the Iroquois Confederacy resisted expanding into Ohio Country because they believed it was sacred Cherokee land that should not be occupied. Early in the war competed for control of New France and colonial trade. Both sides were led by colonial governors primarily concerned with their objectives when making war decisions. These leaders also believed their country’s interests would be served by taking over French territory. The war was started as a direct result of interactions that led to a brief period of peace [4]. For example, British colonists in New England significantly impacted tensions in Europe. Because they exported so much to Europe, they were seen as more powerful than their counterparts in St. Louis, who had a more limited amount of European exports[5]. Because of this, the colonies around them looked up to them with jealousy, and when there was a conflict over who would rule North America, it was simpler for the colonists to take Britain’s side.

After conflicts escalated into war, Americans saw an opportunity for their empire by supporting rebels who fought to overthrow King George III’s government. There was a simulation of new ideas, cultures, and technologies. English traders and colonists made contact with the French in Canada during the 17th century and began using the fur trade to expand their economy[6]. Eventually, the English discovered gold and silver mines in British colonies. The French king Louis XIV’s expansion of his holdings in North America led to British colonists defending themselves against French attacks on trade routes in New France.

The French, British and Iroquois empires all competed for land in North America. Each empire changed the lifestyle of those living in North America by infiltrating the indigenous population, taking over land and expanding the colonies’ borders. This created a division between many natives, eventually leading to them fighting against one another as well as against their colonizers[7]. These tensions resulted in a war between England and France, eventually leading to independence from England as a whole, but not until many years later.

The English began slaughtering Native Americans as they arrived on their shores. They then made alliances with them and aided them in battles against other French colonists while practicing dominance over them. The Iroquois would later become one of their most difficult opponents leading up to the war; however, the English managed to beat them because their ally, the Dutch, was at war with another nation, which allowed them time to concentrate on building their empire. Iroquois greatly impacted the English and influenced their relationships with other native tribes around the area[8]. In addition to this interaction, the French built settlements that were also culturally linked. The French learned from their interactions with the native tribes what helped them become more influential in avoiding conflict with their new rivals.

The war not only transformed America’s economy but changed the way the nation was governed. After the war, the remaining colonial powers in North America became more secure with control over their territories and people. These European powers expanded their influence over other nations through trade agreements and military conquest[9]. This increased interaction led to the rapid development of new industries and technological innovations, which marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. It provided a large amount of revenue for the colonies. The war also provided valuable products, including furs and other products traded in Europe, where they became more valuable.

The war brought heavy losses to the English, but it also established the United States as an independent nation with a unique culture. The war influenced American colonists’ attitudes towards power and liberty; they formed militias as a form of defense while they sought a more direct path to prosperity. The success of British colonies in North America was due to the royalty structure. In this type of society, individual land grants privilege was tied to royal favor and became a form of economic investment in the colony[10]. This allowed their colonists access to limited natural resources in exchange for labor which increased production, which then required more laborers, so it created an upward spiral that wouldn’t be disrupted even during periods of economic depression.

Fred Anderson relies on the premise that the French and Indian War “made America” because it is, in effect, only a prologue to the Revolutionary War and subsequent colonists were ultimately forced to fight for their liberty. While this is accurate, there are some issues with his argument. First and foremost, none of the three empires mentioned by Anderson could claim to be a “great power” at this point in history[11]. As well-known historian Francoise Champion points out, they did not have military units or even a standing army at this point, so they did nothing to make their way into the minds of Americans. Instead, there was an insistence on expansionism by empire builders such as Britain, who had no intention of making regular troops available to America and would have viewed independence as a threat to British interests.

In conclusion, Fred Anderson asserts that the war was more like a civil war, where local tribes were subjugated by colonial forces and imperial powers determined to expand their trade interests. The war was like a revolution of events in the country. It was one of the important events that contributed to the US of America as a collection of independent colonies, each of which maintained its own distinct national identity. However, there are several issues with declaring this war as “the beginning” of the United States today. Anderson is correct in his analysis because it is evident throughout the book that there was no single empire at war here with each other; many different groups of people were doing business with the French and British trading companies while they were fighting amongst themselves. To put it in simplest terms, many nations were involved in making America.

Bibliography

Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[1] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[2] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[3] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[4] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[5] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[6] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[7] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[8] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[9] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[10] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.

[11] Hofstra, Warren R. “The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War.” The Historian 70, no. 1 (2008): 98-100.