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The peace treaty of 1748 gave Louisbourg back to the French. This angered the British New Englanders who had captured the fortress when they invaded New France in 1745. Tensions, such as this, led to the French and Indian War between Britain and France.
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The governor of Virginia sent George Washington to the Ohio Country to secure the Virginian's claims. When encountering French troops in the forests, about 40 miles from Fort Duquesne, the Virginian's fired the first shots of the new war.
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The British government summoned a colonial congress to Albany. Only seven of the thirteen colonial delegates showed up.The purpose of this was to unify the colonies and to increase Indian support of the British, while bolstering the defense against France.
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In 1755, General Braddock and about 2,000 men set out to capture the French Fort Duquesne. A few miles from the fort, Braddock encountered a small French and Indian army. They poured a murderous attack on the redcoats. The entire British force was routed after surprising losses. Indians later attacked the frontier from PA to North Carolina. This angered the colonists.
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Great Britain declares war on France expanding the North American conflict to Europe, the West Indies, Philippines, Africa, and on the ocean. The Seven Years' War was a seven-seas war. In 1756, Britain launched an invasion of Canada, attacking many exposed wilderness posts.
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Montcalm led the French conquest of Fort William Henry. Montcalm’s actions following the surrender, angers his Indian allies who capture and kill many unarmed British.
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William Pitt dispatched a powerful expedition in 1758 against Louisbourg. Although the fortress had been greatly strengthened, it fell to British control. This event was important because it raised confidence in Britain. This was the first significant British victory of the entire war.
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British forces scaled the poorly guarded rocky cliffs of Quebec. The two armies faced each other on the Plains of Abraham on the outskirts of Quebec, the British under Wolfe and the French under the Marquis de Montcalm. The French army was defeated and the city surrendered.
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The French flag had fluttered in Canada for the last time when Montreal fell in 1760.
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The Treaty of Paris ends the war between Britain and France.
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The Ottawa chief Pontiac led several tribes, aided by French traders, in a violent campaign to drive the British out of Ohio Country. Pontiac's warriors attacked Detroit and overran most of the British posts west of the Appalachian, killing soldiers and settlers. The British retaliated, crushing the uprisings using biological warfare. The episode convinced the British of the need for peace and stablized relationships with the western Indians.
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King George III signs the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting settlement in the area beyong the Appalachians. This document angered American colonists, but worked out the Indian problem fairly, preventing any future Indian revolts.
