CH 6 Discussion Questions

1. Why was the French empire ultimately so much less successful than either the Spanish or the British empires?
2. If France instead of Britain had won the duel for North America, would the thirteen colonies ever have become independent of Britain, or would they have been forced to stay within the empire for protection against France? Would Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans now be cities in Canada rather than in the United States?
3. How did the treatment of Americans by British officers and military during the war contribute to simmering resentment against the mother country? Do the attitudes and behavior of the colonists during the war suggest that Americans felt less real patriotic loyalty to Britain, and that the ties had become largely practical ones?
4. How important was William Pitt's leadership in winning the Seven Years' War? Is strong political leadership essential to military victory? Is strong political leadership or strong military leadership more important to winning a war? What about during revolutions?
5. From Britain's perspective, were stationing soldiers in the New World permanently and issuing the Proclamation of 1763 good colonial policies? What problems were these policies trying to address? How else might have Britain solved those problems while limiting colonial contempt?
6. Should the French and Indian War be considered one of the major causes of the American Revolution? Why or why not?

·  Compare the image of the typical early French colonizer (the fur-trading voyageur or Jesuit priest) with the image of the typical Spanish colonizer (the conquistador) or English colonizer (the Puritan or tobacco planter). Consider how these images reflect the nature of each nations colonial effort.

·  Approach several of the chapters issues from a Canadian viewpoint especially that of a French-Canadian. Point out how the survival and growth of the aggrieved French-Canadian community reflects the losing side of the struggle for North America and discuss whether English-speaking North Americans might have ended up in the same condition had France won the French and Indian War.

·  Focus on the Indian factor in the French empire and the French and Indian War. Examine French relations with the Indians compared with British (and perhaps Spanish), and consider why most Indians supported France against Britain.

·  What shaped the European alliances that formed during the eighteenth century? Why did France and Britain clash frequently? Why did France and Spain become allies a number of times? Why was Portugal no longer a major power in colonial affairs or the world?

·  Examine the Seven Years' War in Europe. Assess William Pitt's statement that, "America was conquered in Germany." How much did the battles and conflict in the Old World shape the fighting in the New World?

·  Use the activities of the young George Washington to illustrate the double role of the colonists as both British subjects and Americans. Discuss how Washington’s status as a colonial underling clashed with his status as a young Virginia aristocrat and reflected all the colonists frustrations with their subordinate role.