Timeline Description: The French and Indian War was a fight that had been going on for years before it broke into this particular war. The French crown and the British crown each wanted to claim North American for themselves, and the fight was settled once and for all at the end of the French and Indian War.
Date | Event |
---|---|
1744 | King George's War(1744-1748) The fight between France and England escalated into King George's War. It was a fight for dominance in North America, but it ended without any real winner. |
1753 | Tensions rise French troops marched south from Canada into the Ohio Valley in order to take the territory, but English loyalist fought back. Skirmishes broke out across the area, raising tensions between the countries. |
May 1754 | The first battle In an effort to stop the French, General George Washington led his troops to ambush a French regimen. Washington's plan was successful, and they quickly retreated to Fort Necessity. |
July 1754 | Fort Necessity falls Once Washington's troops made it to Fort Necessity, the French enlisted the Indians to help them attack. The French and Indians defeated the British at Fort Necessity, killing a third of Washington's men. |
June 1755 | The British advance northward The British troops marched northward in order to take the French in their own territory. They captured Acadia, which is known today as Nova Scotia. |
July 1755 | Battle of the Wilderness During the time Nova Scotia was being attacked, the French were attacking in America. The French took an outpost in Pennsylvania, leaving a large British territory undefended. |
May 1756 | War is made official after three years of fighting, Britain officially declared war on France. By August, the French had already captured another of Britain's forts on the Great Lakes. |
1757 | A massacre During August 1757, the French moved in to take Fort William Henry. A great battle ensued which later went down as a massacre and inspired the movie The Last of the Mohicans. |
1758 | The tides turn After several defeats throughout 1757, the British at last began winning French forts. They took Louisbourg which opened the route to Canada, then they took back the forts on the Great Lakes. |
October 1758 | Peace with the Indians Britain began befriending Indian soldiers in an effort to further defeat the French. They were able to make peace with the Iroquois, Shawnee, and Delaware Indians. |
1759 | More victories for the British Throughout 1759, Britain experienced several victories. They took the French island Guadeloupe in the Carribean, as well as forts along the eastern and western frontiers. |
September 1759 | Death of the commanders During a fierce battle in Quebec, two high-ranking officials died on the battlefield. Montcalm of the French armies and Wolfe of the British troops perished in battle. |
September 1760 | War begins winding down British troops moved northward into Montreal where they successfully took the area. Canada officially surrendered. |
1760 | Britain's victory Letters were signed to end the war. Britain raised their flag over Detroit, and the war was finished. |
1763 | Treaty of Paris After a few more battles between troops, the Treaty of Paris was signed. It officially divided the land between the British, French, and Spanish. |