thesis statement seven years war

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THE SEVEN YEARS WAR AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR COLONIAL AMERICA – A HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Paper was written for class during academic studies. Abstract: By examining the analysis provided by previous historians regarding the Seven Years War through their various academic works; this research paper endeavors to properly provide a closer introductory examination of historiographic analysis pertaining to the short- and long-term impact that the Seven Years War made across multiple areas of the economic, religious, social, and political arenas in colonial America. The search for evidence regarding this agenda will include the review of pertinent literature and archeological records cataloged in the university research center, to the best extent access allows. Additionally, outside academic literature and research available on the internet may also be consulted.

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Seven Years’ War

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 13, 2023 | Original: November 12, 2009

The Seven Years’ War, which took place between 1756-1763, was a global conflict that spanned five continents, though it was known in America as the “ French and Indian War .” After years of skirmishes between England, Spain and France in North America, England officially declared war on France in 1756, setting off what Winston Churchill would later call “the first world war.” While the French, British, and Spanish battled over colonies in the New World, Frederick the Great of Prussia in Europe faced off against troops from Austria, France, Russia and Sweden. The Seven Years’ War ended with two treaties: The Treaty of Hubertusburg greatly enhanced Prussia’s power on the European continent. The Treaty of Paris between France, Spain and Great Britain drew colonial lines largely in favor of the British, an outcome that would later influence the French to intervene in the Revolutionary War .

French and Indian War

By the 1750s, the French had largely claimed Canada and the Great Lakes, while Great Britain clung to their 13 colonies on the Atlantic seaboard. The frontier area around the upper Ohio River Valley soon became a hotbed of contention between British, French and Native American forces, with the Europeans eager to settle the area over their rivals.

The initial armed conflicts did not go well for England: The French built Fort Duquesne and alongside their Native American allies, repeatedly defeated the British.

The war was officially sparked when 22-year-old George Washington was sent by the governor of Virginia as an envoy to the French, warning them to stay away from the area around today’s Pittsburgh. The French refused, and on the way home from his failed mission, Washington’s men became embroiled in a skirmish with a French encampment, where French ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville was killed. 

Fort Necessity

Rightly fearing reprisal, Washington ordered the construction of the aptly-named Fort Necessity . The Battle of Fort Necessity on July 3, 1754, (also known as the Battle of Great Meadows) resulted in Washington’s first and only surrender.

Washington would soon be followed in defeat by General Edward Braddock and Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts, both of whom failed to stop the French. In 1756, Britain's William Pitt decided to take a new tack and began strategically financing Prussia’s army as it took on France and its allies. Pitt also reimbursed the colonies for raising armies to beat back the French in North America.

British Victory in the French and Indian War

Pitt’s gambit worked: The first British victory at Louisburg in July of 1758 revived the sagging spirits of the army. They soon took Fort Frontenac from the French and in September of 1758, General John Forbes captured Fort Duquesne and rebuilt a British fort called Fort Pitt in its place in honor of William Pitt.

From there, British forces marched to Quebec, beating French troops in the Battle of Quebec (also known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham) in September 1759. Montreal fell in September of the following year.

The British under George III were not just fighting over territory in the Americas; they were simultaneously involved in maritime battles that tested the might of the British Navy. The French had to scrap an attempted invasion of Britain after losing the Battle of Lagos and the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

In addition to the victories in Canada, Great Britain beat back French forces in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Havana, Manila, West Africa and India, wresting Pondicherry in India from the French on January 16, 1761.

The Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763, officially bringing an end to the French and Indian War. The British were awarded Canada, Louisiana and Florida (the latter from Spain), thereby removing European rivals and opening up North America for Westward expansion .

The British victory in the French and Indian War earned England a reputation as a world power with a strong navy, a reputation they would use to continue their empire-building efforts around the globe. But the British had also incurred significant debt in the lengthy conflict, and would soon look to the colonists to help pay back the war debt through increased taxes.

The Treaty of Paris also returned Pondicherry to France, and gave them back valuable colonies in the West Indies and Senegal. The French loss would later inspire them to side with American colonists against the British during the Revolutionary War.

The Seven Years’ War in Europe

The Seven Years’ War picked up where the War of the Austrian Succession left off in 1748: with increasing levels of hostility between Prussia (led by Frederick the Great) and Russia. The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle , or Treaty of Aachen, had taken Silesia from Austria and given it to Prussia, prompting Russia to worry about Frederick’s growing influence in the region.

Frederick, for his part, welcomed another war where he could gain even more territory. With tensions mounting between the superpowers, Europe’s system of alliances shifted in what came to be known as the “diplomatic revolution”: Russia soon allied itself with France and Austria against Britain, Prussia and Saxony in modern-day Germany.

Frederick made the first move, kicking off the war in Europe when he invaded Saxony in August 1756, quickly taking Leipzig and Dresden before moving on to attack Bohemia. Following a failed siege of Prague in May of 1757, he earned early victories at Rossbach on November 5, 1757, when Prussian forces defeated France and Austria, and again at the Battle of Leuthen on December 5, 1757, when the Prussians were victorious over the Austrians.

It was at Leuthen that Frederick began to rely less heavily on swordsmanship and more on firepower to keep up with the advanced weaponry of his opponents.

Prussia’s enemies would soon strike back: Russian and Austrian forces occupied Berlin, which was then the Prussian capital, in October of 1760. The Russians and Austrians withdrew as Prussian reinforcements arrived to battle for their capital.

Prussia was winning, but at great cost. It would take a miracle—the “Miracle of the House of Brandenburg”—to end the war. That miracle happened when Russia withdrew from the war in 1762 following the death of its leader, Tsarina Elizabeth, and the ascension of her nephew, Czar Peter III , to the throne.

Treaty of Hubertusburg

The Treaty of Hubertusburg (also known as the Peace of Hubertusburg) between Austria, Prussia, and Saxony was signed five days after the Treaty of Paris on February 15, 1763.

The Treaty of Hubertusburg named Archduke Joseph of Austria Holy Roman Emperor and gave Silesia and Glatz to Prussia, further bolstering the power and influence of Frederick the Great and Prussia.

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The Global History of the Seven Years’ War. Harvard.edu. Seven Years’ War. MountVernon.org. The Seven Years’ War 1756-63. ThoughtCo . What’s So Great About Frederick? The Warrior King of Prussia. National Geographic . French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63. U.S. Department of State. Office of the Historian .

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7 Years’ War in “US: A Narrative History” by Davidson Essay

After reading chapter six of “US: A Narrative History”, about the Seven Years’ War and how its outcome affected relations between England and its colonies, there was eagerness to see how things played out in the aftermath of Britain’s attempts to consolidate political control over its American empire by imposing stricter regulations designed to raise colonial revenues and how this actually motivated many Americans to view independence as the only alternative. Chapter seven brought out the conflict in a different perspective by shedding spotlight on the unintended consequences of a long running struggle for supremacy between the English and French powers.

What was most surprising was the way the British had seemingly portrayed a lack of concern toward a potential backlash from the colonists or if they did not, then they underestimated the power of such an uprising. In other words, it was such an ironic ending to a conflict which the British thought they had put behind them with the ultimate victory over the French, only to take a new twist and have them removed instead. (Davidson, Brian, Christine, Mark and Stoff ch6).

Evidence from chapter six points to Britain spending quite a lot of effort dealing with the French’s interference, while leaving internal matters affecting colonists to play second fiddle. Whereas Americans had optimistic expectations from the role they would play in advancing the empire, their British counterparts had expressed litany of accusations against their perceived non cooperation with imperial forces and continued trade with the French enemies during the Seven Years’ conflict.Consequently, the British Parliament decided it was payback time to assert its authority directly in America’s trade and territory.

To ensure their end of advancing centralization was achieved, they deployed more British troops in American colonies and maintained it by increasing tax revenues. This was the spark that touched off the flame of the American Revolution and which chapter seven brings into sharp focus to help us see clearly the real cause(s) of the war. This is something unbeknownst to most people around the world but one that lies at the core of American libertarian value system.

Chapter seven also builds on the preceding chapter by outlining the actualization of the fears that had been expressed forthwith. Chapter six entailed the point of departure in thinking between the colonists and the colonialists, how the two sides started to drift apart in terms of anticipating to carry on with the duties of the new empire. Americans craved for more equal status in the empire while, on the other hand, the British responded with a cold heart toward granting any measure of power within the colonies.

This led to spirited campaigns against discriminating British policies with average success. Now, it was time to act once and for all against the all time aggressions of the British power. This action is what sets the tone in chapter seven and helps to set us up for what would follow the victory of the Continental Army namely the defining of the American society and the challenges associated with it (David et al ch7).

Although settlers who came from Europe did so because of religious freedom, at the start of the war of revolution, the motives had completely changed to those promoting “self-evident truths” of human equality and “inalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These core values form the American society to date and are reflected in the way that they promote the ideals of freedom and democracy around the world.

Indeed, this time period is characterized by intrigue, suspense and twists that would work together as perfect ingredients to a movie set depicting the American dream of independence. The most captivating features in the film would be the backdrop and terrain of the battle fields overrun by the rebels and seasoned fighters alike.The main character would be George Washington and the monumental task he would face would be transforming a rag tag army to match or outwit a ruthless bulldog predisposed to massacring and vanquishing enemies (Wister, 1).

This chapter covers a total time span of 18 years of action packed galore ensconced between two wars that ran from 1863 to 1881. This time period was mostly chosen by the authors since it marks significant endings to two crucial conflicts which helped define the formation of the American society.

It makes for an interesting read about how the victory of one power became short-lived and its expectations overturned by unforeseen events when the enemy took advantage of the divisions that emerged in-house.

The material in this chapter does not need to be so hard for Americans to understand given the observation and experience of how things turned out to be today. Many Americans looking back to the bold decisions taken by their brave forefathers will no doubt be proud of the strong foundation laid in the formation of a world power today.

Those living at the time of the revolution might have doubted the idea of switching loyalty because the colonies were still fledgling and dependent without any clear future of their own or because the Continental Army could not bring itself to match a professionally trained Royal military, or both. Modern Americans, though, have the benefit of hindsight to count it a blessing to have the sort of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and the like to stage a rebellion against the mighty England.

Works Cited

Davidson, James, Brian DeLay, Christine Heyrman, Mark Lytle and Stoff, M. US: A Narrative History . New York: McGraw Hill. 2008. Web.

Wister, Sally. “A True Narrative.” Sally Wister’s Journal (1902).

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IvyPanda. (2020, August 19). 7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson. https://ivypanda.com/essays/7-years-war-in-us-a-narrative-history-by-davidson/

"7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson." IvyPanda , 19 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/7-years-war-in-us-a-narrative-history-by-davidson/.

IvyPanda . (2020) '7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson'. 19 August.

IvyPanda . 2020. "7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/7-years-war-in-us-a-narrative-history-by-davidson/.

1. IvyPanda . "7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/7-years-war-in-us-a-narrative-history-by-davidson/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "7 Years’ War in "US: A Narrative History" by Davidson." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/7-years-war-in-us-a-narrative-history-by-davidson/.

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Topic: United States , World , War , Bullying , Violence , Internet , World War 2 , Development

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Works Cited

“Seven Years War.” History of War. Web. 6 June 2011. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_sevenyears.html “Seven Years War.” New World Encyclopaedia. Web. 6 June 2011. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Seven_Years%27_War “The Costs of Empire: the Seven Years’ War and the Stamp Act Crisis.” The British Library. Web. 6 June 2011. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/americanrevolution/costsofempire.html “The Seven Years War.” Historica. Web. 6 June 2011. http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=335 “The War of the Revolution.” British Battles. Web. 6 June 2011. http://www.britishbattles.com/american-revolution.htm

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Home > Student Work > Honors Theses > 2305

Honors Theses

France and england in the seven years' war: the role of deficit spending and debt financing in eighteenth century europe.

David Husband , Union College - Schenectady, NY

This thesis explores the use of deficit spending and debt financing by England and France during the Seven Years’ War that took place from 1756 to 1763. Modern governments are constantly using deficit spending to fund government activities. The evolution of deficit spending was sparked by the evolution of financial institutions in Europe during the 16 th , 17 th and 18 th centuries and the necessity of deficit spending to fund wars. When tax revenues could not cover the expenses of warfare, the governments and kingdoms of Europe had to offer debt-backed securities to supplement their revenues and ensure that they could remain fighting in the various wars of pre-modern Europe.

In order to successfully analyze the war through an economic scope, revenue streams, financial statements, primary documents, and historical developments of the European capital markets were analyzed to gain a grasp on the financial and economic situations of both England and France prior to, during, and after the Seven Years’ War. By analyzing French and English documents relating to monetary and fiscal policy prior to and during the war, economic and political theories were applied to each country to reach the conclusion that England’s superior economic and financial systems ensured that they defeated the French during the Seven Years’ War. The Seven Years’ War would have a lasting impact on global history, and was a seminal moment in the shaping of England, France, and North America’s political and economic systems.

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• The Culture of the Seven Years' War: Empire, Identity, and the Arts in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World

In this Book

Edited by Frans De Bruyn and Shaun Regan

• Published by: University of Toronto Press

The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) was the decisive conflict of the eighteenth century – Winston Churchill called it the first “world war” – and the clash which forever changed the course of North American history. Yet compared with other momentous conflicts like the Napoleonic Wars or the First World War, the cultural impact of the Seven Years’ War remains woefully understudied.

The Culture of the Seven Years’ War is the first collection of essays to take a broad interdisciplinary and multinational approach to this important global conflict. Rather than focusing exclusively on political, diplomatic, or military issues, this collection examines the impact of representation, identity, and conceptions and experiences of empire.

With essays by notable scholars that address the war’s impact in Europe and the Atlantic world, this volume is sure to become essential reading for those interested in the relationship between war, culture, and the arts.

Table of Contents

• Title Page, Copyright
• Illustrations
• pp. vii-viii
• Acknowledgments
• pp. ix-x, 1-2
• Introduction
• Shaun Regan and Frans De Bruyn
• I The Experience of Empire in the Seven Years' War
• 1 From Vernon to Wolfe: Empire and Identity in the British Atlantic World of the Mid-Eighteenth Century
• Nicholas Rogers
• 2 1759 - Year of Decision?
• Fred Anderson
• 3 Colonial Disease, Translation, and Enlightenment: Franco-British Medicine and the Seven Years War
• Erica Charters
• 4 "Under His Majesty's Protection": The Meaning of the Conquest for the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
• Alain Beaulieu
• II Imagining Conflict: Literature and the War
• 5 Paper Wars: Literature and/as Conflict during the Seven Years' War
• Thomas Keymer
• pp. 119-146
• 6 Shakespeare, Voltaire, and the Seven Years' War: Literary Criticism as Cultural Battlefield
• Frans De Bruyn
• pp. 147-168
• 7 “What d’ye call him, Tierconneldrago …”: Oliver Goldsmith and the Seven Years’ War
• Michael J. Griffin
• pp. 169-188
• III Individuals and Identities: Status, Gender, and Race
• 8 The View from St James's Palace in 1759: A Court Perspective on the Annus Mirabilis
• Nigel Aston
• pp. 191-212
• 9 "Unfit to Serve": Honour, Masculinity, and the Fate of Lord George Sackville
• Robert W. Jones
• pp. 213-234
• 10 Olaudah Equiano and the Seven Years' War: Slavery, Service, and the Sea
• Shaun Regan
• pp. 235-256
• IV Empire and the Arts
• 11 Setting the Empire in Stone: Commemorating Wolfe in the Gardens at Stowe
• pp. 259-283
• 12 George Stubbs's The Zebra and the Spectacle of Fine Art at the End of the Seven Years' War
• Douglas Fordham
• pp. 284-306
• 13 Facing Past and Future Empires: Joshua Reynolds's Portraits of Augustus Keppel
• Daniel O’Quinn
• pp. 307-338
• Notes on Contributors
• pp. 339-342
• pp. 343-349
• Image Plates

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Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Apocalypse now: war and religion in late colonial and early republic america.

Nicole Marie Penn , College of William and Mary Follow

Date Awarded

Spring 2016

Document Type

Degree name.

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Christopher Grasso

Committee Member

Guillaume Aubert

Hiroshi Kitamura

ABSTRACT French “Idolators,” British “Heretics,” Native “Heathens”: The Seven Years’ War in North America as a Religious Conflict With France and Great Britain as its primary belligerents, the Seven Years' War was an international conflict with a decidedly religious dimension, one based on the longstanding rivalry between Catholicism and Protestantism. In North America, the conflict galvanized clergymen in both the British and French colonies to frame the war as a religious struggle with potentially apocalyptic consequences. This discourse remains understudied by historians, and efforts to address religion's role in America during the Seven Years' War is usually one-sided, focusing either on the French or British experience. This paper aims to fill this historiographic gap by analyzing both sermons produced by Protestant ministers from across the American colonies and pastoral letters issued by the Catholic Bishop of Quebec between 1755 and 1763. Moreover, this paper argues that both French and British religious leaders viewed the Seven Years' War as an extension of the Catholic-Protestant European religious wars of the previous century, and believed that the conflict's outcome would determine the survival of their respective religions in North America. This paper also describes how Native Americans figured in this discourse, employing a combination of captivity narratives written by Protestant ministers and the reports of Jesuit missionaries to further illustrate the war's perceived apocalyptic significance. ABSTRACT “The English Establishment Is, Itself, of a Beastly Nature”: Catholicizing Great Britain in Pro-War American Discourse During the War of 1812 In order to catalyze support for their cause against the British during the War of 1812, pro-war writers in the United States revived a rhetorical device that had once served their Revolutionary predecessors: the casting of Great Britain as an anti-Protestant and practically Catholic agent. Specifically, these writers were reacting to claims made by certain New England religious and political authorities shortly after the war’s inception that Great Britain was Protestantism’s “bulwark,” and as a result should be viewed as an American ally rather than as an enemy. An examination of pro-war newspaper articles and published sermons ranging in origin from Vermont to Maryland demonstrates how pro-war writers deconstructed Great Britain’s historically accepted role as Protestantism’s defender. It also reveals how this rhetorical strategy intensified in comparison to its brief employment during the Revolutionary period, thanks to the manner in which Napoleonic France was perceived as an effective check against the Papacy. Finally, these sources demonstrate the extent to which pro-war writers employed apocalyptic imagery from the biblical Book of Revelation to bolster their denunciation of Great Britain, which they argued stood alongside the Catholic Church as one of the beasts of the Apocalypse.

http://doi.org/10.21220/S2FW2T

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