2. The French and Indian War

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we turn to look at the French and Indian War for control and influence of the Middle Ground. The period before the French and Indian War was a period of relative Native American dominance of the Middle Ground as different tribes could play competing European powers off each other. However, British victory in the Seven Years' War established British dominance on the North American continent. This is disastrous for Native American populations who seek to force the British out during Pontiac's War. The British are able to slow Pontiac's progress and create a stalemate between Britain and Native Americans in these regions. In an effort to manage relations with Native Americans the British establish the Royal Proclamation Line of 1763.

Course

In this course, Professor Stephen Rockwell (St. Joseph's College, New York) explains how and why migration and immigration to and within North America caused competition and conflict over the period 1754-1800. We start by looking at immigration to North America and the 'Middle Ground' in this period. We then turn to look at the French and Indian War for control and influence of the Middle Ground. The next two modules will look at how Britain and later the US tried to control their populations and how these strategies were resisted. In the penultimate module we will discuss the unsteady nature of the early Republic. Finally, we will explore slavery and population movement in the early Republic.

Lecturer

Stephen J. Rockwell is a Professor of Political Science at St. Joseph's College, New York. He specialises on a number of areas including: national institutions; public administration; race, ethnicity and politics (including American Indian affairs and immigration issues); and American political development more generally. He has written a number of books including Indian Affairs and the Administrative State in the Nineteenth Century and How Big Government Won the West.