The French and Indian War - Effect on Relation Between Britain and the Colonies

Long Essay 1 - F.I War’s Effect on Relation Between Britain and the Colonies

By: Trevon LeGrave

The french and Indian war, over the course of its seven years, was a gateway to many changes in the relationship between Britain and the American colonies. This war brought many positive and negative changes to the political, the ideological, and the economical relations between the two parties. Britain, taking the win, gave it a large amount of power and it became a colossal force in the New World; However, because of the debt Britain acquired it began taxing the colonists. That action caused the colonist’s loyalty to be shaken.

What first triggered the French and Indian War was the growth of both the French and the British. Before the War, the French held a large portion of the Northern Americas. They had staked their claim on land from the Mississippi River to Louisiana. The colonists wanted to move west past the Appalachian Mountains. after the war, the land that was claimed by the french was now under the English flag. This allowed for them to become the most powerful force in North America and expand further unchallenged.

Right after the victory the colonist’s morale and loyalty to the crown was actually higher until the colonists began to trade. The Spanish and colonies started trading after the war. It can be inferred that the British did not have a way to set any trade laws. The British felt like they were being cheated out of their trade revenue. This led the British to believe at an even bigger degree that the colonists were not pulling their weight. That made them increase taxation for the colonists.

The economical changes did not begin with the taxes, but it is what really affected them. When the debt came into play and the British parliament passed the stamp tax, which would not have been as bad if they gave the