Lesson Plan #2

Themes:
French and Indian War
For Grade:
11
Goal:
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major
ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New
York.
Objectives:
- Students will understand key events, battles, people, and forts used during the French and
Indian War.
- Students will analyze the beginning of tensions between England and the Colonies
- Students will recognize the debt England accumulated during this war.
- Students will practice taking notes during a lecture that provides important key ideas
alongside small underlying details.
Materials Needed:
- French and Indian War powerpoint
Lesson:
French and Indian War: The Beginning of Tensions Between the Colonies and the Motherland
Warm up - With your neighbor, brainstorm a list of things that cause war. This is a way to start
the students off from square one, being that this is the first war that will be discussed in the class.

General Information About the War

1. War between France and their native allies, the Huron/Algonquin, and England and their
native allies, the Iroquois Confederacy.
2. While fighting begins in 1754, war isn’t officially declared until 1756 by Britain.
3. In the end, about 11,000 soldiers were killed or wounded from each side

What caused this War?

Increase power over the other nation.
1. Historically, France and Britain are two nations that constantly butt heads,
because of both their close physical relation to each and their competition of
evolution before the other.
 French and English interest in North American expansion of:
1. Physical Territory
a. During this time period, one way of creating, establishing, or developing
wealth in society was through land. The more land a person or nation
owned, the more wealth, access to resources and power they held.
2. Native Trade Routes
a. Being that this was a time before automobiles and locomotive power,
European used waterways and river systems to transport goods and
services

Map of East Coast Before

Ask students what they observe about the map?
Things I’m looking for:
1. Expulsion of French from North America after war
2. ***Ohio River connected to North Atlantic ocean through St. Lawrence!!
Why were the natives involved in European conflict?
Preserve land, culture and tradition
1. Native economy and way of life was based around hunting, fishing, and simple
agriculture. All of these things are directly connected to the land around them.
2. Certain native groups held spiritual or traditional connections to the land, and
wished remain on these lands to continue these connections for generations to
come.
Preserve trade relations with French and English
1. Natives typically looked to stay out of or remain neutral in European conflict.
2. The only interaction natives wanted with Europeans was trade.
a. Natives produced beaver furs and traded them for European Luxuries such
as guns/ammunition, metal work, and cloth.
b. Europeans turned beaver furs into fancy top hats, that typically showed
status in European society
Early French and English tactics
1. French migration south (1752)
a. French, under the leadership of Governor Marquis Duquesne (Do Kane),
begin to travel down the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, and the northern
Ohio river valley to begin their expansion of territory and power by
establishing forts and trading posts along the way.
2. English Migration West
a. Meanwhile, Robert Dinwiddie (DIN-wid-dee), the Governor of Virginia,
was granting land in the Ohio River Valley to citizens of his colony.
 b. George Washington sent to deliver letter to French ordering them to leave
to area. French refuse. Washington begins planning good spots for
English fort. Tensions begin.
c. Come 1754, small battles and Scrimmages at fort began for control of
Ohio river valley.

Early French Success and Victories

1. France had a stronger land based army, whereas England had a stronger naval
army.
2. 1755 ambushed colonial forces at Ft. Prince George and made it Ft. Duquesne
3. 1756 take over of Ft. Oswego
4. 1757 take over Ft. William Henry near Lake Champlain
a. Unsuccessful English attack on Louisbourg in Canada
5. 1758 outnumbered defence of Ft. Carillon (Ft. Ticonderoga)
Why did the English Struggle Early on?
1. One simple reason: Poor English leadership resulting in tensions between
colonists and English
Lord Loudoun
1. British Commander at the start of war
a. Did not listen to Colonial Advisors and officials
b. Took control of colonial troops
c. Demanded the quartering of English troops in colonial houses
Letter from Washington to Loudoun
1. Soldiers weren't being paid or reimbursed properly.
2. Discouraged soldiers
3. ***This was the beginning of tensions between Colonists and English
Do you Recognize this drawing?
1. On PP is a picture of Ben Franks Join or Die snake
2. Ask them what they know about the snake
a. First published in the Pennsylvania Gazette by Ben Franklin in 1754
b. Used to develop support and unity among Colonists to fight french
c. Later used to unify colonies against England
A positive Turn for the English
1. William Pitt
a. 1757 - Becomes Leader of the House of Commons in Britain
b. Dedicated to English superiority over France
c. Makes changes to war administration in North America
i. Colonists work better with new administration
d. Increases budget for war
i. Will play a role towards the end of the War as we will see
Late English Success
1. 1758 - Finally take Louisbourg
a. Seize Ft. Frontenac
2. 1759 - Seize Ft. Duquesne, Ft. Carillon (Ticonderoga), Ft. Niagara, and Crown
Point
a. Communication to ORV effectively cut off
3. Late 1759 - Seize Quebec
a. French need to Move HQ to Montreal
4. 1760 - Seize Montreal
a. Marks the end of the war in North America, though fighting continues in
Europe

A Brown Spot on the English Successes

1. Early 1700- England take control of coastal Canadian lands from France under the treaty
of Utrecht
2. He southernmost section, named Acadia, wished to remain neutral in European affairs,
even though they were French. This worried the English, but they let it slide for the first
half of the 1700’s
3. During the War, however, in fear that these French Acadians would betray the english,
the English forced around 10,000 acadians from their homes to places like the 13
colonies, European nations, and eventually the modern day Louisiana area
a. These people developed the Cajun culture in Louisiana.

Treaty of Paris
1. 1763
2. Official end of war
3. French possessions in North America given to England
4. ´France regains a few territories in the Caribbean

Englands Debt
1. Historian agree that England’s national Debt nearly Doubled over the 9 years of
fighting
a. 1754 = about 70,000,000 pounds of debt
b. 1763 = about 145,000,000 pounds of debt

Wrap up - Let’s differentiate the main ideas from the underlying details.

Main Ideas:
● Why did the indians get involved and why did the Europeans get involved?
● Why did France succeed at first and what changes were made amongst the British to
change this
● England debt