French and Indian War

February 10, 1763, the French and Indian war came to an end. It was a part of the Seven Years War, which was fought in Europe. In North America, it was fought between Great Britain and the French to determine who would control the colonial regions. While the British ultimately won, it was the beginning of their downfall in North America.

The war cost a lot of money and the British government felt that the colonists needed to contribute to the repayments, since they had participated in the war. This led to new taxes and new enforcement laws for those taxes, which the colonists did not like and eventually began the American Revolution.

Not only was a lot of money owed, but the British were suspicious of the colonists and did not treat the men who volunteered to fight for the British very well. At this time, the colonists still considered themselves to be Englishmen but this idea was slowly disappearing.

(George Washington as Captain in the French and Indian War

by Julius Brutus Stearns, circa 1849-1856

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)