MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

We introduced a few weeks ago some ways that American colonists' thinking shifted in the 1700s, embracing optimism and revolutionary ideas. The Enlightenment and a religious renewal of faith known as the Great Awakening, played roles. Political thought in England became the practice more in the colonies than it did in the mother land, leading to more representation for the common people. As we also discussed, the French and Indian War was a pivotal event, when colonists celebrated their shared victory over France, then were disappointed with new British policies.

Some background: a longstanding cultural antipathy began between England and France in 1066, when William the Conqueror led his army against the Anglo-Saxons to become king of England. He had no direct blood claim, only unsubstantiated pledges to justify his campaign. When Pope Alexander II declared him the rightful heir, English nobles accepted his reign, but numerous tensions remained.

Three major conflicts occurred between England and France: King William's War (1689 to 1697); Queen Anne's War (1702 to 1713); and King George's War (1744 to 1748). All began in Europe, but made their way to the colonies, until a final war began in 1754. The defeat of the French in 1763 signaled national and cultural significance for the colonists.

In the New World, the colonies had experienced significant unease with the French for nearly a century before the French defeat. A series of incidents in the upper Ohio River valley began the American phase of the widespread Seven Years' War. The French claimed that territory for lucrative fur trade with Native American tribes, while at the same time, Britain wanted to expand their holdings in the interior.

In 1747, the Ohio Company of Virginia was founded to open trade and expand Virginia westward. France responded by constructing forts below the Great Lakes. Open conflict began when 22-year-old Lieutenant Colonel George Washington arrived with Virginian troops and Iroquois allies in 1754. Their ambush of a French scouting party was considered the beginning of the war. Later, Washington was forced to surrender, but news about the loss in the Ohio River valley caused Britain the following year to send regiments across the Atlantic.

The French continued to build strong alliances among Native Americans in the region. Forts were constructed with support from local tribes such as the Shawnee and Delaware. Combined with the presence of French trappers and traders, there was ongoing anxiety for English settlers in the borderlands.

The American colonies possessed vast resources, providing food and equipment necessary to sustain troops, which provided a key advantage. The nearly starving French in Canada, who were in the new world primarily to trade and trap, contrasted with English settlers seeking land to farm. As the war progressed, local militias bolstered British soldiers. Colonial governments raised troops to defend their own borders, allowing British regulars to focus on major offensive campaigns. These forces grew into seasoned wilderness fighters and provided a decisive knowledge of the terrain. They adopted woodland tactics, matching the style of the French and their Indian allies, which traditional European tactics could not counter.

By the successful conclusion of the war, elimination of the French presence in North America fueled a strong sense of identity with England, the leading global empire of the time. The war had acted as a training ground for colonial militias, fostering a sense of unity as well as a separate American identity. The treaty of 1763 appeared to open up the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys for potential expansion.

However, this pride was short-lived, and a rapid shift toward discontent occurred. Soon after the war, the British government issued the Proclamation of 1763, which restricted westward expansion as well as imposed new trade regulations and taxes The aftermath significantly damaged their relationship, transforming the colonists and British - who had been allies against a common enemy - into antagonists.

The conclusion of the French and Indian War exposed a number of issues, beginning with respect. Colonial soldiers developed superior fighting skills under leaders such as George Washington. They appreciated the courage of British soldiers, but British commanders often demeaned local troops as inferior. A second outcome was the forbidding of western settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, while the colonists felt they had fought for that land.

Taxation was increased after the war, and trade controls were implemented. Those in the colonies had been willing to contribute during the war effort, but Britain was now trying to extract taxes for debts they'd incurred striving to maintain their empire.

Colonists, most of whom were British citizens, went from pride in their mother country to dismay over the lack of direct representation. And a constant reminder were the troops, which were left behind according to British policy, to protect the colonists from Indians. However, soldiers were stationed in populous Boston and New York City, where Indians had not been seen in years. In truth, England had no place at home for troops to be re-integrated into the economic system.

Consequences of the French and Indian War came about just when colonists had felt the most pride in being British, yet resulted in disappointment over actions they considered condescending. Collective experiences in the new land were ushering in a new identity and unity, which resulted in a belief that their future and prosperity could come only through independence and self-governance.