The signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 saw an end to the French and Indian War that began in 1754. The treaty awarded Great Britain, among other things, an enormous territory that included France’s colony east of the Mississippi except for New Orleans. The pact also required various parties to pay for the war, which resulted in political discontent leading to the American Revolution. Although the French and Indian War ended in 1754, its ramifications extended the peace agreement into a conflict between the French and British over territories in north and west of America.
The end of the War resulted in political realignments and fallouts started in Europe. In 1762, the combatants (Russia, Sweden, Saxony, Austria, Spain, and France against Britain and Prussia) desired peace and status quo (Martson 15). However, Britain turned defiant on yielding gained territory to France’s antebellum holdings. Notably, other nations viewed the move as a means to achieve a balance of power in Europe. With the signing of the treaty, America’s fate was decided as British Canada possessed all of France’s claims east of the Mississippi. The sharing of land in the Americas and Canada drove a wedge between Britain and other colonists. Part of the conflict was the newly added taxes meant to pay off debts incurred during the War.
Britain incurred significant national debt during the War; thus, it imposed more taxes on necessities other colonists considered part of everyday life. The taxes caused a revolt against King George III – events kindled during conflicts in the west of the Appalachian Mountains between British traders and Native Americans who were previously allied to the French. The overpriced goods incited the Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763-64) that involved native tribes resulting in the fall of several British forts, and the Royal Proclamation of 1763 alienated the British (Hoffer 75). The British also prohibited expansion west fueled the American identity resulting in an increasing divide between the colony and the mother country.
Although the French and Indian War had been a significant success for the colonists, the victory was short-lived. A divide rose between the British, allies, and other colonists following the British’s imposition on necessities, a considerable debt, and conflict with native Americans over territories and borders. Eventually, Britain and its influence on America grew distant as the settlers expanded west and developed an American identity.
Work Cited
Hoffer, Peter Charles. Law and People in Colonial America. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019.
Marston, Daniel. The Seven Years’ War. Routledge, 2013.