French and Indian Wars - Definition and Overview

The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts in North America that represented the actions there that accompanied the European dynastic wars. While some conflicts involved Spanish and Dutch forces, most were between Great Britain, its colonies and Indian allies on one side and those of France, its colonies and Indian allies on the other. The expanding French and British colonies were contending for control of the western or interior territories. Whenever the European countries went to war, there were actions within and by these colonies. The North American wars, and their associated with European wars, in sequence, are:

As the wars proceeded the advantage moved inexorably towards the British side. This was largely a reflection of the greater population and productive capacity of the British colonies compared with those of France. The French were able to offset this by more effective mobilization of Native American allies, but were ultimately overwhelmed. Ironically, the overwhelming victory of the British led to their losing their American colonies. Without the threat of the French, the American colonies saw little need for British military protection and resented British limits on the colonization of the new French territories as stated in the Proclamation of 1763. These pressures led to the American Revolutionary War.

See also:

• British colonization of the Americas
• French colonization of the Americas

Further Reading:

• A Few Acres of Snow: The Saga of the French and Indian Wars by Robert Leckie; Wiley & Son; Hardcover: ISBN 0471246905; Paperback: ISBN 0471390208