Some believe that the French and Indian War was a small portion of the Seven Years War. This, however, is not entirely correct. While the Seven Years war, and the French and Indian War are related, (The French and Indian War being the beginning of the Seven Years war) the conflict in America was more closely tied to remants of unsettled feelings from King George's War (1744--1748) After the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle finished King George's War, the hatred between the French and the English in the Americas never quite diffused. See, in 1755 France held most of America. The French claims touched close to what we know as Candace, also, New France (the strech of land along the Mississippi River down to Louisiana). The English, however, desiring to expland their land claims, often encroached upon the French's property. This "invasion" forced the French to erect several forts along the frontier (Fort Duquesne near Pisstburgh and Fort Miamis etc). The French. never that fond of the English in the first place (due to several centuries of fighting) ...this is where it gets confusing which is why I will quote...also because I think the sentence in the book I'm working from is hysterical: "....sent the Indians who allied themselves with the French in raiding parties in retaliation for raids conducted by the Indians on the English side, who claimed that their raids were in retaliation for those made by the French. It didn't matter which side was correct, the main object wasn't to retaliate, but rather for the French to keep the English in their place, and for the English to irritate the French as much as possible until they moved out." With the tension level already sky high, the French decided to build Fort Le Beoeuf
downriver from Duquesne...near Lake Erie. One catch: The English at this time claimed this land as theirs...and only theirs. After some debate, the English enlisted the help of a certain Major George Washington. They sent him to the region of Fort Duquesne to evict those nasty French. Washington headed a little party through the woods but while advancing a party of French appeared... Surprise! Washington gave the order to fire and after the battle 10 French were killed and 22 or so captured. However, this was supposed to be a time of *Official Peace*. The French promptly accused Washington of unmercilessly leading an *assasination* of the men who were killed. In fact! They even tricked Washington into signing a document that was translated into saying that he had attacked the party. But, the document signed stated that he had *assasinated* rather than attacked the party. Suddenly, the World began to take notice. In 1755 England sent two regiments to the colonies "to protect the colonies from the Indian invasions." The King of France, still hoping to retain peace, nevertheless sent several of his own regiments to New France: "To defend their frontiers." With these regiments was the Baron de Dieskau, commander, who was under direct orders to only defend the country, not to attack. Meanwhile the English sent General Braddock to attack Duquesne, with a larger force than Washington had. "The English army marched in their columns towards Duquesne in the typical European manner. In long rows of men, three abreast, they marched down the road to battle. They did not see the Canadians and Indians hiding in the surrounding woods until it was too late. For the French side it was as good as target practice. For the English it was a massacre. Each time the English soldiers tried to break ranks and join the same brand of warfare that the French side was using, the English officers beat their men back into columns. THIS is how battles were fought, the feeling was. (suprisingly, the English, and later the U.S. armies followed this method of fighting through even the Civil War. Remember the pictures of men, all lined up across a field even though there those ominous, and all-too-accurate cannons facing them.)" The English were butchered and forced to retreat with what little was left. Yet even the French troops tripping over to America had problems of their own. Around the Great Banks, the French fleet became snagged in a heavy fog and seperated from each other. While most of the shipts reached Louisbourg safely, 3 were delayed. The Lys, the Alcide and the Actif. The Alcide, coming to a clearing in the Fog, found itself face to face with 11 ominous English ships. They became worried but they were at peace weren't they?? (But in those days one couldn't be too sure. Word was passed by ship and sometimes one wouldn't know the most current news for months.) "The flag ship of the English fleet came broadside to the French vessel. Commander Hocqueart of the Alcide called out to the English Commander Howe, of the Dunkirk, "Are we at Peace, or War?" Howe replied "Peace.", and a small conversation ensued when the guns
of the Dunkirk shot right through the Alcide's side." Almost everyone on the Alcide was lost. The Lys, noticing that the English meant no good, tried to escape but was eventually captured. Only the Actif disappeared into the gof. Clearly "peace" was little more than an illusion. Upset by this attack, the King of France withdrew his entire staff of negotiators from
English lands. It wasn't "officially" war yet but something was there...

For lack of time on my part à To be continued....