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The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War
The globe's first true world war comes vividly to life in this "rich, cautionary tale" (The New York Times Book Review)
The French and Indian War -the North American phase of a far larger conflagration, the Seven Years' War-remains one of the most important, and yet misunderstood, episodes in American history. Fred Anderson takes readers on a remarkable journey through the vast conflict that, between 1755 and 1763, destroyed the French Empire in North America, overturned the balance of power on two continents, undermined the ability of Indian nations to determine their destinies, and lit the "long fuse" of the American Revolution. Beautifully illustrated and recounted by an expert storyteller, The War That Made America is required reading for anyone interested in the ways in which war has shaped the history of America and its peoples.
The French and Indian War -the North American phase of a far larger conflagration, the Seven Years' War-remains one of the most important, and yet misunderstood, episodes in American history. Fred Anderson takes readers on a remarkable journey through the vast conflict that, between 1755 and 1763, destroyed the French Empire in North America, overturned the balance of power on two continents, undermined the ability of Indian nations to determine their destinies, and lit the "long fuse" of the American Revolution. Beautifully illustrated and recounted by an expert storyteller, The War That Made America is required reading for anyone interested in the ways in which war has shaped the history of America and its peoples.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Fred Anderson
16 books57 followersFred Anderson is professor of history at the University of Colorado, Boulder, He received his BA from Colorado State University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
May 15, 2012
I should have paid closer attention to the note: “the official companion to the PBS miniseries of the same title.” Maybe you have to read this and see the TV show to get the full story. This book was like the root beer without the ice cream. It’s good but it doesn’t measure up to a great root beer float…which is what I was expecting. So just 3 Stars for the The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War
From the back of the dust cover: “This vibrant, sweeping history of the Seven Years’ War deserves a place on the bookshelf of every American who cares about ‘the war that made America’ and how it led to the subjugation and annihilation of Native Americans west of the Appalachians.” Well, except that you need to include ‘Canadian’ in this blurb because Canada was also “made” during this war. We get very little about how the Indians were treated west of the Appalachians…at the end of the Seven Years’ War they are not subjugated.
The Seven Years’ War or French and Indian War was just one theater in a war between the UK and France (and, later on, Spain) that raged across the globe. Basically Britain kicks ass almost everywhere, but in America it doesn’t start well. Our very own George Washington stands accused of starting the war, if only by his inexperience when an Indian member of his militia unit intentionally murders a French envoy. That is a stretch but makes for a convenient tale…Britain and France were aching for a fight and this event provided the excuse. The French make excellent use of their militia and native forces, killing, kidnapping and terrorizing all along the Appalachian frontier while capturing British forts and posts. Meanwhile the British commanders dismiss the irregular forces. Here is Braddock ”Savages” he remarked to Benjamin Franklin…”may indeed be a formidable enemy to your raw American militia; but upon the king’s regular and disciplined troops, Sir, it is impossible they should make an impression.” Six weeks later, the French militia and Indian allies ravage Braddock’s troops and kill him. (Thankfully, the British commanders retained that view of American forces right through Yorktown and beyond many years later). Despite being grossly outnumbered, the French had the strategic and tactical initiative until Montcalm arrives on scene. Montcalm wanted to conduct a “European” style war, mainly on the defensive. Let the British spend their manpower against French strongpoints. Eventually the British advantage in men, material and seapower gains the advantage and the French lose their territories in northern America.
There are excellent parts in this book:
British forces occupied the stockaded French mission and village at Michilimackinac in 1761, following the fall of New France. Two years later a large group of Ojibwa and Sauk warriors, inspired by Pontiac’s attack on Detroit, used an ingenious stratagem to seize the fort. Playing an extended game of lacrosse outside the walls on the morning of June 2, 1763, the warriors chased a ball thrown into the fort’s interior through the open gate, taking weapons as they ran from women spectators who had hidden them beneath their blankets. Within minutes they killed or captured the garrison, taking control not only of the fort but also a large quantity of supplies, arms, and ammunition, without the loss of a single warrior.
There are some good descriptions of various battles, including Fort William Henry, which pretty much happens as depicted in “The Last of the Mohicans” The massacre after the end of the battle also had a long-lasting impact on the entire war, very instructive. I also found good connections to the distaste of the colonists having to house the British soldiers, having to pay money and/or taxes (without representation) to support the British efforts and why the Stamp Act came into force...all these would surface later on in the mid-1770's. I also enjoyed reading in the last part of the book about the other battles in the war, from Manila to Cuba to India. The Brits were on a roll everywhere, proving the advantages of command of the seas.
What holds this book back is the lack of detail. The book breezes by many episodes, dropping by for a quick, shallow background and then moves on…kind of like a TV show. Maybe I will watch the miniseries at some point, but I really wanted the details here. Still a good look at a time in North America that I was not very familiar with. A book for Americans and Canadians and even Caribbean islanders, as the UK gained many of its island territories as a result of this war.
From the back of the dust cover: “This vibrant, sweeping history of the Seven Years’ War deserves a place on the bookshelf of every American who cares about ‘the war that made America’ and how it led to the subjugation and annihilation of Native Americans west of the Appalachians.” Well, except that you need to include ‘Canadian’ in this blurb because Canada was also “made” during this war. We get very little about how the Indians were treated west of the Appalachians…at the end of the Seven Years’ War they are not subjugated.
The Seven Years’ War or French and Indian War was just one theater in a war between the UK and France (and, later on, Spain) that raged across the globe. Basically Britain kicks ass almost everywhere, but in America it doesn’t start well. Our very own George Washington stands accused of starting the war, if only by his inexperience when an Indian member of his militia unit intentionally murders a French envoy. That is a stretch but makes for a convenient tale…Britain and France were aching for a fight and this event provided the excuse. The French make excellent use of their militia and native forces, killing, kidnapping and terrorizing all along the Appalachian frontier while capturing British forts and posts. Meanwhile the British commanders dismiss the irregular forces. Here is Braddock ”Savages” he remarked to Benjamin Franklin…”may indeed be a formidable enemy to your raw American militia; but upon the king’s regular and disciplined troops, Sir, it is impossible they should make an impression.” Six weeks later, the French militia and Indian allies ravage Braddock’s troops and kill him. (Thankfully, the British commanders retained that view of American forces right through Yorktown and beyond many years later). Despite being grossly outnumbered, the French had the strategic and tactical initiative until Montcalm arrives on scene. Montcalm wanted to conduct a “European” style war, mainly on the defensive. Let the British spend their manpower against French strongpoints. Eventually the British advantage in men, material and seapower gains the advantage and the French lose their territories in northern America.
There are excellent parts in this book:
British forces occupied the stockaded French mission and village at Michilimackinac in 1761, following the fall of New France. Two years later a large group of Ojibwa and Sauk warriors, inspired by Pontiac’s attack on Detroit, used an ingenious stratagem to seize the fort. Playing an extended game of lacrosse outside the walls on the morning of June 2, 1763, the warriors chased a ball thrown into the fort’s interior through the open gate, taking weapons as they ran from women spectators who had hidden them beneath their blankets. Within minutes they killed or captured the garrison, taking control not only of the fort but also a large quantity of supplies, arms, and ammunition, without the loss of a single warrior.
There are some good descriptions of various battles, including Fort William Henry, which pretty much happens as depicted in “The Last of the Mohicans” The massacre after the end of the battle also had a long-lasting impact on the entire war, very instructive. I also found good connections to the distaste of the colonists having to house the British soldiers, having to pay money and/or taxes (without representation) to support the British efforts and why the Stamp Act came into force...all these would surface later on in the mid-1770's. I also enjoyed reading in the last part of the book about the other battles in the war, from Manila to Cuba to India. The Brits were on a roll everywhere, proving the advantages of command of the seas.
What holds this book back is the lack of detail. The book breezes by many episodes, dropping by for a quick, shallow background and then moves on…kind of like a TV show. Maybe I will watch the miniseries at some point, but I really wanted the details here. Still a good look at a time in North America that I was not very familiar with. A book for Americans and Canadians and even Caribbean islanders, as the UK gained many of its island territories as a result of this war.
June 7, 2012
The French and Indian War is the American name for a conflict that stretched around the globe; a war known in Europe as the Seven Years War. In The War That Made America, Anderson sticks to the history of the war as it played out in North America, with only a nod to the war as fought in the West Indies, Europe, Asia, and the Philippines. He bookends his story in preface and epilogue by showing what affect the war had on the life, training, and outlook of George Washington, the most famous American to play a key part in it, which proves an effective shorthand device for showing the importance of the war to American history.
Anderson brings to this short history of the war a perspective which has not always been acknowledged - that it was not a conflict between two imperial powers - Britain and France, but between three - Britain, France, and the Iroquois Confederation. Not only does he restore the essential details of the pivotal role that the Five Nations of the Iroquois played in the war, but he shows how the causes of the war lay as much in the struggle of the western tribes of Delaware, Shawnee, and Mingo attempting to gain their independence from the Iroquois as it did in the French and English competition over the lands of the Ohio River Valley. He deftly handles these complex details; sorting them out and making them accessible to the general reader.
Anderson is that rare scholar who possesses a novelist's way with words, and his short history of this war is as entertaining and easy to read as it is informative. He moves the story along briskly, never getting too bogged down in details, but communicating all the important facts necessary for a basic understanding of the war. His book is a painless introduction for anyone who is attempting to gain a basic understanding of this fascinating and important history. I recommend it as a perfect place to begin study of this most crucial of colonial conflicts.
Anderson brings to this short history of the war a perspective which has not always been acknowledged - that it was not a conflict between two imperial powers - Britain and France, but between three - Britain, France, and the Iroquois Confederation. Not only does he restore the essential details of the pivotal role that the Five Nations of the Iroquois played in the war, but he shows how the causes of the war lay as much in the struggle of the western tribes of Delaware, Shawnee, and Mingo attempting to gain their independence from the Iroquois as it did in the French and English competition over the lands of the Ohio River Valley. He deftly handles these complex details; sorting them out and making them accessible to the general reader.
Anderson is that rare scholar who possesses a novelist's way with words, and his short history of this war is as entertaining and easy to read as it is informative. He moves the story along briskly, never getting too bogged down in details, but communicating all the important facts necessary for a basic understanding of the war. His book is a painless introduction for anyone who is attempting to gain a basic understanding of this fascinating and important history. I recommend it as a perfect place to begin study of this most crucial of colonial conflicts.
August 29, 2016
Written in conjunction with the excellent 4 part documentary also called The War That Made America, I found this to be a very good overview of the French and Indian War. If you are interested in understanding more about what led to the American Revolution, I would recommend learning about this conflict which ended only 13 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
August 11, 2018
Covering the French and Indian War and the aftermath, The War That Made America makes the case that without the British win over the French and then the application of taxes on the colonists to help pay England’s war debt, the US would never have become an independent country. The narrative is interesting and usually keeps the attention focused. I had never thought about the reason for the Stamp (and other) Acts being directly related to the aftermath of the French and Indian War before. I recommend this book to anyone interested in or studying the French and Indian War.
May 17, 2023
It is books like these which truly make one astonished with how little the most ardent American “patriots” truly know about their own history. Far from being some divinely inspired movement to change the very foundations of the Earth, the United States was simply a product of two different views on Imperial Britain. Were we to be partners in Empire, jointly expanding British influence across the planet, arm-in-arm as equals, or were we to be subjects to an Imperial Crown, all in service contributing to the “greatness” of the Empire? Those very ideas were even bantered back and forth in the halls of Parliament, as differing Prime Ministers and differing Monarchs held opposite views.
However, when Britain finally came down on the side of subjects versus partners and denied the colonists free reign in conquering the continent, proclaiming that the colonies ended at the Appalachian Ridge, even though there were already thousands, if not tens of thousands of settlers beyond it (through treaties with Indigenous groups that were either unenforceable, meaningless, or not even involving the indigenous people in question – as the Iroquois and Cherokee generally had no claim to the Ohio River Valley), the die was cast. However, the legacy of being British lived on in those American colonists. To quote one of the final paragraphs:
“…It had been the French and Indian War that had removed the French imperial presence from American and deprived the [Indigenous People] of the ally they needed to arm them against the Anglo-American settlers who lusted after their lands. It had been Britain’s unexampled victory in that war that tempted the men who governed the British empire to imagine that their military and naval supremacy was such that they could solve the massive problems of the postwar era by exercising power over the American colonists without restraint. It had been that war that inspired the colonists to conceive of themselves as equal partners in the empire, ultimately enabling them to rebel against Britain’s sovereign power in the name of liberty. Finally, by encouraging the Americans to see [Indigenous People] as enemies to be hated without reserve or distinction, that war had encouraged them, in the midst of Revolution and afterward, to see native peoples as impediments to the expansion of freedom in North America, who could justly be attacked and rightly be subdued…”
And, of course, the Ohio River Valley was so sought after, that just a couple of years before the Revolution, Pennsylvania and Virginia almost went to war with each other over it.
It would also be this war, the French and Indian War, or as we should call it, the North American Theater of the Seven Years War, that saw the triumph of British Imperial rule over both that of France, and later Spain when they threw their hat in the ring, as Britain emerged victorious from Canada to Cuba, from India to the Philippines, and all places in between. And yet as fundamentally important as it is towards the nation which would result from the lessons taught, it remains but a footnote in American History class, some obscure event which occurred before the Revolution in which Washington fought some battles somewhere…
However, when Britain finally came down on the side of subjects versus partners and denied the colonists free reign in conquering the continent, proclaiming that the colonies ended at the Appalachian Ridge, even though there were already thousands, if not tens of thousands of settlers beyond it (through treaties with Indigenous groups that were either unenforceable, meaningless, or not even involving the indigenous people in question – as the Iroquois and Cherokee generally had no claim to the Ohio River Valley), the die was cast. However, the legacy of being British lived on in those American colonists. To quote one of the final paragraphs:
“…It had been the French and Indian War that had removed the French imperial presence from American and deprived the [Indigenous People] of the ally they needed to arm them against the Anglo-American settlers who lusted after their lands. It had been Britain’s unexampled victory in that war that tempted the men who governed the British empire to imagine that their military and naval supremacy was such that they could solve the massive problems of the postwar era by exercising power over the American colonists without restraint. It had been that war that inspired the colonists to conceive of themselves as equal partners in the empire, ultimately enabling them to rebel against Britain’s sovereign power in the name of liberty. Finally, by encouraging the Americans to see [Indigenous People] as enemies to be hated without reserve or distinction, that war had encouraged them, in the midst of Revolution and afterward, to see native peoples as impediments to the expansion of freedom in North America, who could justly be attacked and rightly be subdued…”
And, of course, the Ohio River Valley was so sought after, that just a couple of years before the Revolution, Pennsylvania and Virginia almost went to war with each other over it.
It would also be this war, the French and Indian War, or as we should call it, the North American Theater of the Seven Years War, that saw the triumph of British Imperial rule over both that of France, and later Spain when they threw their hat in the ring, as Britain emerged victorious from Canada to Cuba, from India to the Philippines, and all places in between. And yet as fundamentally important as it is towards the nation which would result from the lessons taught, it remains but a footnote in American History class, some obscure event which occurred before the Revolution in which Washington fought some battles somewhere…
April 11, 2021
Good place to start on the topic. However, while the book is good on the indigenous, Anderson does not understand Montcalm or his dilemma. That is, he could not rely on a raiding strategy given that the British, as early as 1755, were sending regulars. Anderson does not appreciate this because he dislikes Montcalm because he disliked the natives.
December 29, 2015
I love the title, and liked the book.
Anderson is pretty much The Man when it comes to the French and Indian War, as per his more substantial and more decorated Crucible of War: The Seven Years War and the Fate of Empire in British North America.
He certainly knows his stuff, and even though this is a relatively "Short History," it's a complex history and very complicated war.
Frankly many of the details are, well, details. It's the broad strokes and conclusions that Anderson draws the reader to realize and understand that makes this an important book. He connects the dots succinctly to fit right into the best of the grand sweep of highly readable scholarship of early America by favorites of mine like Gordon Wood, Joseph Ellis and Gary Nash and others.
I'd like to give it 3 1/2 stars, though, as sometimes I got caught in the weeds of the various battles. Still, the way he explains the circumstances in the Ohio Valley, and then clarifies the war in Canada is better than anywhere else I have found.
Anderson is pretty much The Man when it comes to the French and Indian War, as per his more substantial and more decorated Crucible of War: The Seven Years War and the Fate of Empire in British North America.
He certainly knows his stuff, and even though this is a relatively "Short History," it's a complex history and very complicated war.
Frankly many of the details are, well, details. It's the broad strokes and conclusions that Anderson draws the reader to realize and understand that makes this an important book. He connects the dots succinctly to fit right into the best of the grand sweep of highly readable scholarship of early America by favorites of mine like Gordon Wood, Joseph Ellis and Gary Nash and others.
I'd like to give it 3 1/2 stars, though, as sometimes I got caught in the weeds of the various battles. Still, the way he explains the circumstances in the Ohio Valley, and then clarifies the war in Canada is better than anywhere else I have found.
December 19, 2011
I have to admit that I knew very little about the nuts and bolts of the French & Indian War before I picked up Anderson's book. The War That Made America was an excellent introduction, though. Anderson's thesis is that the war can accurately be seen only as a tri-lateral affair in which Native American diplomatic maneuvering and military contributions played a pivotal role. He lays out his argument skillfully and supports it with admirable detail. But this isn't a dry, academic account of the conflict; Anderson's prose is clear, the descriptions of key figures from all sides are fascinating, and his sense of humor occasionally shines through. Oh, and the maps and illustrations are invaluable. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history.
June 23, 2013
I had not realized how badly this war was named until I read this book. Borneman describes how this was the first global war, actually an extension of the centuries long English-French conflicts into the new territories they both wanted to claim. In the end, Borneman demonstrates how this war was named for its losers.
Interesting to the modern reader is how poorly the vast lands of North American were valued in comparison to the Caribbean Islands.
While the details of the battles read like a text book, the character portraits of participants are vibrant. I appreciated that Borneman gives the full story of the people, telling of their later careers and situation in life.
Interesting to the modern reader is how poorly the vast lands of North American were valued in comparison to the Caribbean Islands.
While the details of the battles read like a text book, the character portraits of participants are vibrant. I appreciated that Borneman gives the full story of the people, telling of their later careers and situation in life.
July 31, 2022
I appreciated learning a lot more about the French & Indian War, the part it played in forming the character of America, and how all this relates to the American Revolution. I especially enjoyed it since I live in a part of upstate New York where some of the events took place. The courthouse from the days of Sir William Johnson is still being used as our county courthouse, and they claim it is the oldest still-operating courthouse in the country.
February 27, 2022
A good short version of his massive CRUCIBLE OF WAR. I listened to this one while reading the other. They compliment each other well. If I had to choose one to assign in classes it’d be this shorter version. Anderson is an excellent writer of narrative history and the audiobook has a great narrator.
June 5, 2020
Korea and the Vietnam war have been referred to as "the forgotten wars". But so are the War of 1812, the Mexican American War and the Spanish American War. Those and more have happened and been forgotten since our founding in 1776. But this book is about a war fought under the flag of Great Britain by the colonists prior to the War for Independence (Revolutionary War) of 1776.
The French and Indian War, which lead to the Seven Years War in Europe, pitted American British with Indian allies AGAINST the French (or New France, later Canadian) who relied more heavily on their Indian allies. And it is all BUT forgotten by most Americans.
I had not forgotten it but I was very short on information. And loving history as I do, I was more than ready for a book like this. I bought it just ahead of the July 4th holiday in 2013 and finished it on the 4th.
But due to visual disability, I decided to use the Audible version and only read along in portions using my hard copy. For that reason, I can recommend BOTH to anyone who loves American history. Especially American pre-Revolution era history.
The French and Indian War, which lead to the Seven Years War in Europe, pitted American British with Indian allies AGAINST the French (or New France, later Canadian) who relied more heavily on their Indian allies. And it is all BUT forgotten by most Americans.
I had not forgotten it but I was very short on information. And loving history as I do, I was more than ready for a book like this. I bought it just ahead of the July 4th holiday in 2013 and finished it on the 4th.
But due to visual disability, I decided to use the Audible version and only read along in portions using my hard copy. For that reason, I can recommend BOTH to anyone who loves American history. Especially American pre-Revolution era history.
November 8, 2022
Nasty "three party" war .
POSTED AT AMAZON 2006
This is a fast read, packed with colorful military figures, political developments, important battles and conflicts in North America linked to parallel war in Europe. We have three nations involved: French, British (including land thirsty colonists) and oscillating between them undecided manipulated and confused Natives. Too bad for North America Indians they could not consolidate and fight as a one Nation, but this is typical among humans - short term goals are more important than meaningful, potentially long lasting ones. Indians lost off course, British won mostly due to superior Royal Navy. While reading I constantly tried to assess which nation was truly "savage". In the end my opinion has been firmly made. If you want to find out how ugly this lengthy war was and why we have North America the way it is now, I recommend "The War That Made America" by all means.
POSTED AT AMAZON 2006
This is a fast read, packed with colorful military figures, political developments, important battles and conflicts in North America linked to parallel war in Europe. We have three nations involved: French, British (including land thirsty colonists) and oscillating between them undecided manipulated and confused Natives. Too bad for North America Indians they could not consolidate and fight as a one Nation, but this is typical among humans - short term goals are more important than meaningful, potentially long lasting ones. Indians lost off course, British won mostly due to superior Royal Navy. While reading I constantly tried to assess which nation was truly "savage". In the end my opinion has been firmly made. If you want to find out how ugly this lengthy war was and why we have North America the way it is now, I recommend "The War That Made America" by all means.
June 7, 2021
A great condensed read on the subject, his other book on the period is one of my favorites. Im glad this exists for a quick refresher.
August 1, 2019
A short book on the 7 years war through the lens of its impact on the American Revolution.
Far too short to give more than a taste of wanting to read a more in depth book.
Far too short to give more than a taste of wanting to read a more in depth book.
February 12, 2019
This is the sort of short history of the French and Indian War that makes for compelling reading and plenty of material to think about. When the American colonists and the English government were racking up huge debts to decisively defeat the French and later the Spanish in such areas as the West Indies and North America and India, among other places, the English did not think to wonder what differences they and their settler colonists had in mind when it came to the meaning and legitimacy of Empire. But they should have paid attention to these matters. The author does a particularly good job at discussing the importance of the various indigenous peoples from the six nations to their unwilling tributaries to the Cherokees to the war plans of both the French and the British and how important logistics was to the waging of warfare. And the author's attention to matters of logistics and politics and various peoples whose viewpoints are often neglected makes this a richly complicated history that is full of intrigue and material that will make someone think about what it took for the United States to come into being as it did.
At just over 250 pages, this book is indeed a short history. After a preface and an introduction in New York in July 1776, the author begins with the context of the French & Indian war at being at the end of a long period of relative peace (I), with chapters that discuss the delicate balance between the English and French (1), the dilemma of the half king in seeking to become more independent of his overlords (2), the confrontation on the Ohio between French and American colonials led by George Washington (3), and the horrifying murder of the French envoy that gave the French the cause they would need for war (4). Then the author moves into savage warfare (II), with chapters on the intervention of the French (5), the failures of Braddock's march (6), the efforts of New York to defend itself (7), the brutal fighting in Nova Scotia and Pennsylvania (8), the beginning of the European war (9), and the making of a massacre (10). By this point, halfway through the book or so, the author discusses the turning point (III) in the rise of William Pitt (11) and the defeat of the British and colonials at Ft. Carillon (12), followed by the conquest of Louisbourg (13), the coup of Col Bradstreet in destroying the logistical basis of the French forts in the Ohio (14), the role of tribal diplomacy in making war and peace (15), General Forbes' last campaign to take Ft. Duquesne (16), and the reckonings of the British successes (17). The book then concludes with a series of chapters on British conquests and its consequences (IV), with chapters on the shift in the balance of the Six Nations against neutrality (18), an incident at La Belle Famille (19), the hesitation of General Amherst (20), Wolfe's moment of glory at the Plains of Abraham (21), the conquest of a mighty empire by Britian (22), the Spanish gambit to help the French at the last minute (23), peace (24), insurrection among the Swanee and other tribes (25), the crisis and resolution of the early quarrels over the stamp tax (26), and a look at the move towards patriot for George Washington (27).
This book has a lot to offer the reader. If you are looking for compelling discussions of battles and the fate of armies and empires, there is plenty of discussion of that, although it does focus on the North American theater, as one would expect given the intentions of the author to show how the war made America. The author also notes, quite pointedly, that the behavior of the native Americans in many cases helped to encourage among white Americans the belief that there could be no lasting peace unless the natives were driven off the land or destroyed outright. Likewise, the rise of American stirrings for independence required first that the French no longer be a threat to American colonies, which this war managed to achieve. If you are fond of a discussion of politics, strategy, logistics, and the legitimacy of empire, this is definitely a worthwhile history to check out.
At just over 250 pages, this book is indeed a short history. After a preface and an introduction in New York in July 1776, the author begins with the context of the French & Indian war at being at the end of a long period of relative peace (I), with chapters that discuss the delicate balance between the English and French (1), the dilemma of the half king in seeking to become more independent of his overlords (2), the confrontation on the Ohio between French and American colonials led by George Washington (3), and the horrifying murder of the French envoy that gave the French the cause they would need for war (4). Then the author moves into savage warfare (II), with chapters on the intervention of the French (5), the failures of Braddock's march (6), the efforts of New York to defend itself (7), the brutal fighting in Nova Scotia and Pennsylvania (8), the beginning of the European war (9), and the making of a massacre (10). By this point, halfway through the book or so, the author discusses the turning point (III) in the rise of William Pitt (11) and the defeat of the British and colonials at Ft. Carillon (12), followed by the conquest of Louisbourg (13), the coup of Col Bradstreet in destroying the logistical basis of the French forts in the Ohio (14), the role of tribal diplomacy in making war and peace (15), General Forbes' last campaign to take Ft. Duquesne (16), and the reckonings of the British successes (17). The book then concludes with a series of chapters on British conquests and its consequences (IV), with chapters on the shift in the balance of the Six Nations against neutrality (18), an incident at La Belle Famille (19), the hesitation of General Amherst (20), Wolfe's moment of glory at the Plains of Abraham (21), the conquest of a mighty empire by Britian (22), the Spanish gambit to help the French at the last minute (23), peace (24), insurrection among the Swanee and other tribes (25), the crisis and resolution of the early quarrels over the stamp tax (26), and a look at the move towards patriot for George Washington (27).
This book has a lot to offer the reader. If you are looking for compelling discussions of battles and the fate of armies and empires, there is plenty of discussion of that, although it does focus on the North American theater, as one would expect given the intentions of the author to show how the war made America. The author also notes, quite pointedly, that the behavior of the native Americans in many cases helped to encourage among white Americans the belief that there could be no lasting peace unless the natives were driven off the land or destroyed outright. Likewise, the rise of American stirrings for independence required first that the French no longer be a threat to American colonies, which this war managed to achieve. If you are fond of a discussion of politics, strategy, logistics, and the legitimacy of empire, this is definitely a worthwhile history to check out.
November 24, 2020
Ever get the feeling, while reading non-fiction, that the writer disliked one of the parties in his book? I got the feeling this author did not care for the British...or the French...or Americans, for that matter. (Maybe it's just me in the midst of our 2020 elections.) Oh wait, this is the companion book to a PBS documentary....that explains it.
Very insightful book on a crucial portion of American, indeed World, history. This is the time when Great Britain took the lead in the great, global competition we call life.
"They understood a great deal about the strength of tidal currents in the river, the times of the moon's rising and setting, and other factors of immense importance to Wolfe, who clearly consulted them in planning this operation. Yet it is almost inconceivable that even theses sophisticated officers could have predicted how tide and moonlight would coincide in the early hours of September 13 to make it possible for Wolfe's scheme to succeed. For indeed there was no other night in all of 1759 that could have produced conditions that rendered the boats essentially invisible to observers looking upriver from the French lines along the shore, yet illuminated the river sufficiently for the crews of the boats to steer downstream in safety; no other night when the ebb current would have moved at precisely the sped the British needed to deliver the boats to L'Anse au Foulon at four o'clock, when moonlight streamed across the river from the southeast, allowing the steersmen to pick out the cove and bring the boats to shore without mishap."
One of the most heartbreaking scenes in military history would have to be what happened on the Plains of Abraham outside of Quebec. Makes me wonder what atrocities occurred unrecorded in pre-historic times. Maybe that's why the author doesn't like the English or the French too much.
Very insightful book on a crucial portion of American, indeed World, history. This is the time when Great Britain took the lead in the great, global competition we call life.
"They understood a great deal about the strength of tidal currents in the river, the times of the moon's rising and setting, and other factors of immense importance to Wolfe, who clearly consulted them in planning this operation. Yet it is almost inconceivable that even theses sophisticated officers could have predicted how tide and moonlight would coincide in the early hours of September 13 to make it possible for Wolfe's scheme to succeed. For indeed there was no other night in all of 1759 that could have produced conditions that rendered the boats essentially invisible to observers looking upriver from the French lines along the shore, yet illuminated the river sufficiently for the crews of the boats to steer downstream in safety; no other night when the ebb current would have moved at precisely the sped the British needed to deliver the boats to L'Anse au Foulon at four o'clock, when moonlight streamed across the river from the southeast, allowing the steersmen to pick out the cove and bring the boats to shore without mishap."
One of the most heartbreaking scenes in military history would have to be what happened on the Plains of Abraham outside of Quebec. Makes me wonder what atrocities occurred unrecorded in pre-historic times. Maybe that's why the author doesn't like the English or the French too much.
November 10, 2021
Fascinating book. You hear about the French and Indian War but it never seems to get any attention. It turns out that George Washington gets a lot of military experience by taking part in this war which helps him during the Revolution.
I also didn't realize exactly when the war was and that it wasn't very long before the Revolutionary War, 1754-1763. And the war started in America but spread to Europe where it was called The Seven Years War.
It was a fight between France and England but as the name of the war suggests also the Indians. France and England governed their colonies very differently and also dealt with the Indians differently. The English broke many agreements with the Indians. (I would assume the French did to but I don't remember that being covered.)
England had around 10 times as many people in their colonies as France did. The French depended on the Indians as allies and trading partners. Some of the Indians allied with the British but a number played both sides against the other and sometimes worked with the British and sometimes with the French. The numerical advantage of the British led to them winning the war and taking over all of France's colonies in North America.
The British were quite cruel in dealing with the French in what is now Canada and also the Indians who supported them. They killed or drove out the French in Acadia and the Indians there too. The Acadians who move to Louisiana became know as Cajuns.
Besides the British regular forces, they also paid to raise militias from the colonies to fight as well. I can't do justice to what the book talked about. But, basically, with the colonies raising militias and helping out in other ways, it gave them more of a sense of independence and equality. Without that as a precursor, the Revolutionary War might not have happened.
I also didn't realize exactly when the war was and that it wasn't very long before the Revolutionary War, 1754-1763. And the war started in America but spread to Europe where it was called The Seven Years War.
It was a fight between France and England but as the name of the war suggests also the Indians. France and England governed their colonies very differently and also dealt with the Indians differently. The English broke many agreements with the Indians. (I would assume the French did to but I don't remember that being covered.)
England had around 10 times as many people in their colonies as France did. The French depended on the Indians as allies and trading partners. Some of the Indians allied with the British but a number played both sides against the other and sometimes worked with the British and sometimes with the French. The numerical advantage of the British led to them winning the war and taking over all of France's colonies in North America.
The British were quite cruel in dealing with the French in what is now Canada and also the Indians who supported them. They killed or drove out the French in Acadia and the Indians there too. The Acadians who move to Louisiana became know as Cajuns.
Besides the British regular forces, they also paid to raise militias from the colonies to fight as well. I can't do justice to what the book talked about. But, basically, with the colonies raising militias and helping out in other ways, it gave them more of a sense of independence and equality. Without that as a precursor, the Revolutionary War might not have happened.
October 9, 2007
Wow! I loved this - picked it up in an airport and couldn't put it down. This is a highly readable account of what the author calls the first world war - and what I learned in school is not the whole picture. Anderson explores the French archives and also has a nuanced and thorough understanding of the role that indigenous people played: how their treaties and alliances among and against themselves and the British and French lead to very different policies toward frontier settlement and shaped policy of the new nations of North America on a path of genocide. Washington was incredibly lucky, and history could indeed have turned out very differently with seemingly inconsequential decisions made in the back woods around Pittsburgh in the mid-1700's. Fascinating.
June 26, 2021
Excellent overview of The Seven Years War primary focusing on the North American theater year by year with a balanced look at each side of the conflict. My first book focusing exclusively on this war and I loved it. While brief it by no means felt lacking. It was concise in the best way possible.
September 12, 2022
An interesting book that offers a survey view of the French and Indian War, and ends with the beginning of the American Revolution. In his book, Anderson absolutely lays out the groundwork for discontent and the need for expansion into the American Interior.
A well researched book.
A well researched book.
March 15, 2022
A good, concise history of the French and Indian War. Having listened to "The Crucible of War" on audiobook, this seems like more of an edited down version.
December 3, 2023
Fred Anderson is a professor of History at the University of Colorado. He received his BA at Colorado State University and his PhD at Harvard. His other works include Crucible of War: The Seven Years’ War and the Fate of Empire in British North America 1774 - 1766 and The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America. Dr. Anderson is qualified to write on the topic of the French and Indian War.
In the opening chapter, Anderson laid the groundwork for the intricate relationships between colonists and Native Americans in North America. Over the preceding 150 years, European diseases decimated native populations, forcing them to consider war as a means of survival. The Iroquois, pivotal in these dynamics, shifted alliances between the French and English, leveraging their strategic position for political power. Pennsylvania, initially a haven for Native American tribes, saw a reversal in fortunes as the Iroquois sold land to the colonists, exemplified in the controversial "Walking Purchase."
The narrative shifted to the Ohio Valley, where the Shawnee, Delaware, and Iroquois sought refuge. English influence prompted France to send forces to assert control over the region. Tensions escalated as the Ohio Company established a trading post, leading to French military action. The Iroquois, vying for control over neighboring Indian populations, further complicated the situation. The conflict intensified when George Washington was dispatched to dismantle French forts. Washington's actions inadvertently escalated hostilities, leading to a confrontation where the French sought capitulation, unknowingly providing grounds for potential war. France, wary of the cost of war, chose demilitarization in response. Major General Edward Braddock was sent to counter French influence, but his campaign ended in a disastrous defeat.
The Ohio Indians sought French cooperation, and Braddock's ill-fated march resulted in a massacre, further complicating the geopolitical landscape. William Johnson led the British in a successful campaign in the New York province, while deportations in Nova Scotia contributed to anti-French sentiments. Growing fears of Indian attacks led to a British expenditure on frontier fortifications. Disorderly affairs prompted a change in leadership, and preparations for war against New France began.
France attacked Minorca, marking an escalation in the conflict. Spain's refusal to aid France added complexity to the geopolitical stage. Led by Montcalm, the French and Indians triumphed in the Battle of Fort Carillon, with repercussions leading to the spread of smallpox among native populations. William Pitt's leadership shift brought renewed support for the colonists, but the Battle of Ticonderoga resulted in heavy British casualties.
The Anglo-Americans achieved success at Fort Frontenac and Louisbourg, signaling a turning point in the conflict. British successes continued with the capture of Fort Duquesne, weakening France's hold in the west. Sir William Johnson's efforts paid off in the Battle of Fort Niagara, showcasing the importance of alliances with Native American groups.
The shift from neutrality to aiding the British shocks Fort Niagara's Captain Pierre Pouchot. Johnson led the British to victory while ensuring peace with Native American allies. Wolfe led the British in taking Quebec, but both he and Montcalm succumbed to mortal wounds. Amherst's well-planned three-pronged attack resulted in the surrender of New France, marking the end of the conflict in 1760.
The War that Made America meticulously chronicles the complex web of alliances, betrayals, and conflicts that shaped the fate of North America during this pivotal period. Fred Anderson skillfully weaves together the intricate details of military strategies, diplomatic maneuvers, and cultural clashes, providing a comprehensive and compelling account of the events leading to the fall of New France.
In the opening chapter, Anderson laid the groundwork for the intricate relationships between colonists and Native Americans in North America. Over the preceding 150 years, European diseases decimated native populations, forcing them to consider war as a means of survival. The Iroquois, pivotal in these dynamics, shifted alliances between the French and English, leveraging their strategic position for political power. Pennsylvania, initially a haven for Native American tribes, saw a reversal in fortunes as the Iroquois sold land to the colonists, exemplified in the controversial "Walking Purchase."
The narrative shifted to the Ohio Valley, where the Shawnee, Delaware, and Iroquois sought refuge. English influence prompted France to send forces to assert control over the region. Tensions escalated as the Ohio Company established a trading post, leading to French military action. The Iroquois, vying for control over neighboring Indian populations, further complicated the situation. The conflict intensified when George Washington was dispatched to dismantle French forts. Washington's actions inadvertently escalated hostilities, leading to a confrontation where the French sought capitulation, unknowingly providing grounds for potential war. France, wary of the cost of war, chose demilitarization in response. Major General Edward Braddock was sent to counter French influence, but his campaign ended in a disastrous defeat.
The Ohio Indians sought French cooperation, and Braddock's ill-fated march resulted in a massacre, further complicating the geopolitical landscape. William Johnson led the British in a successful campaign in the New York province, while deportations in Nova Scotia contributed to anti-French sentiments. Growing fears of Indian attacks led to a British expenditure on frontier fortifications. Disorderly affairs prompted a change in leadership, and preparations for war against New France began.
France attacked Minorca, marking an escalation in the conflict. Spain's refusal to aid France added complexity to the geopolitical stage. Led by Montcalm, the French and Indians triumphed in the Battle of Fort Carillon, with repercussions leading to the spread of smallpox among native populations. William Pitt's leadership shift brought renewed support for the colonists, but the Battle of Ticonderoga resulted in heavy British casualties.
The Anglo-Americans achieved success at Fort Frontenac and Louisbourg, signaling a turning point in the conflict. British successes continued with the capture of Fort Duquesne, weakening France's hold in the west. Sir William Johnson's efforts paid off in the Battle of Fort Niagara, showcasing the importance of alliances with Native American groups.
The shift from neutrality to aiding the British shocks Fort Niagara's Captain Pierre Pouchot. Johnson led the British to victory while ensuring peace with Native American allies. Wolfe led the British in taking Quebec, but both he and Montcalm succumbed to mortal wounds. Amherst's well-planned three-pronged attack resulted in the surrender of New France, marking the end of the conflict in 1760.
The War that Made America meticulously chronicles the complex web of alliances, betrayals, and conflicts that shaped the fate of North America during this pivotal period. Fred Anderson skillfully weaves together the intricate details of military strategies, diplomatic maneuvers, and cultural clashes, providing a comprehensive and compelling account of the events leading to the fall of New France.
September 25, 2023
The war that is referred to as the French and Indian War in the United States was fundamentally a classic great power battle between Britain and France. With British allies on the European continent, battles taking place in North America, the Caribbean and Asia, it was a global conflict. Outside of the United States, it is commonly referred to as the Seven Years War. Action on the North American continent was only a part of the struggle yet is generally considered by Americans to be distinct from the other action.
As the American name implies, there were three fundamental belligerents in the war in North America. The British crown forces of the British military and their American auxiliaries, the Native American tribes and the French forces and their American auxiliaries. The Native American tribes at the time were a significant military force and both the British and French sides actively recruited their military support or at the least their stand aside neutrality. It was a difficult choice for the Native American leaders, for both the British and French forces fundamentally wanted to assert themselves over the Native Americans.
Success in battle in North America shifted back and forth, with each side winning battles, but then struggling to exploit their gains. Given the rough features of the terrain and the harsh Canadian winters, the fighting season was climactically and geographically defined. The few invasion routes were clearly defined, so the direction of the attack was never a surprise.
Anderson does an excellent job in explaining the complex forces that were in play in the French and Indian War as well as the aftermath. At the end, the British Empire gained control of what became Canada and all of the land west of the American colonies to the Mississippi River.
What is likely the best part of the book is the explanations of the consequential aftermath. As always happens in wartime, crown money poured into the colonies, leading to an economic boom. There was the inevitable aftermath of economic recession, which led to discontent in the colonies. Although American hatred of the Native Americans was likely inevitable due to the demand for their land, the fighting of the French and Indian War made it greater and quicker.
As is always the case when a major war ends, subsequent problems erupted that led to future conflict. There were several consequences of the British victory. The first was that with the French now evicted from North America, the Native American tribes could no longer court both the French and British. They now faced the British-Americans only and they had been weakened by the conflict. The American forces that fought alongside the British became aware of the fact that they could in fact engage in military action on their own and they had created their own military officers. George Washington being first among them.
The most significant consequence of the war was the enormous debt that the British crown accrued. To the leaders in England, it was natural that the colonists, being major beneficiaries of the victory and subjects of the crown, should pay increased taxes to cover the cost of the war. This desire to raise their taxes led to the most significant objections by the colonists.
The French and Indian War is generally not extensively covered in the history courses, even though it was significant in the development of the American colonies as politically independent entities. This book serves as an excellent primer on this major war.
As the American name implies, there were three fundamental belligerents in the war in North America. The British crown forces of the British military and their American auxiliaries, the Native American tribes and the French forces and their American auxiliaries. The Native American tribes at the time were a significant military force and both the British and French sides actively recruited their military support or at the least their stand aside neutrality. It was a difficult choice for the Native American leaders, for both the British and French forces fundamentally wanted to assert themselves over the Native Americans.
Success in battle in North America shifted back and forth, with each side winning battles, but then struggling to exploit their gains. Given the rough features of the terrain and the harsh Canadian winters, the fighting season was climactically and geographically defined. The few invasion routes were clearly defined, so the direction of the attack was never a surprise.
Anderson does an excellent job in explaining the complex forces that were in play in the French and Indian War as well as the aftermath. At the end, the British Empire gained control of what became Canada and all of the land west of the American colonies to the Mississippi River.
What is likely the best part of the book is the explanations of the consequential aftermath. As always happens in wartime, crown money poured into the colonies, leading to an economic boom. There was the inevitable aftermath of economic recession, which led to discontent in the colonies. Although American hatred of the Native Americans was likely inevitable due to the demand for their land, the fighting of the French and Indian War made it greater and quicker.
As is always the case when a major war ends, subsequent problems erupted that led to future conflict. There were several consequences of the British victory. The first was that with the French now evicted from North America, the Native American tribes could no longer court both the French and British. They now faced the British-Americans only and they had been weakened by the conflict. The American forces that fought alongside the British became aware of the fact that they could in fact engage in military action on their own and they had created their own military officers. George Washington being first among them.
The most significant consequence of the war was the enormous debt that the British crown accrued. To the leaders in England, it was natural that the colonists, being major beneficiaries of the victory and subjects of the crown, should pay increased taxes to cover the cost of the war. This desire to raise their taxes led to the most significant objections by the colonists.
The French and Indian War is generally not extensively covered in the history courses, even though it was significant in the development of the American colonies as politically independent entities. This book serves as an excellent primer on this major war.
November 25, 2023
Outstanding history of the French and Indian War; I had never previously studied it in detail thus found this book to be very interesting and informative. I had always thought of the war as an afterthought that occurred sometime before the Revolutionary War, but I now realize how the French and Indian War set the stage for the upcoming revolution. Key excerpts below.
- This colony, founded in 1681 as an experiment in pacifism and religious liberty by the aristocratic English Quaker William Penn, was one of the greatest anomalies of its day: an English colony that forswore the use of force against native peoples, but rather promised them peace and traded with them on fair and open terms. P11.
- As word spread among native groups that Pennsylvania offered a refuge from the wars that afflicted them, Penn’s colony became a haven for Indians as much as it was for European immigrants… the Quaker province could safely dispense with a militia because they effectively outsourced defense to Indian allies…… p11-12. PJK: brilliant policy… while it lasted.
- Braddock’s broad powers effectively made him Britain’s viceroy and North America: a radical departure from previous British policies toward the colonies, which had largely left matters of military defense to the colonists themselves. P57.
- At Whitehall and in Westminster public officials were severely aware that the debts Pitt’s policies had run up would somehow have to be repaid, and the vast new territories and non-English speaking peoples that were now part of the empire would need to be mastered. P229.
- The surrender of Canada had left him (Amherst) with an immense set of problems to solve, beginning with the administration of territories that in theory at least extended from Labrador to the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and which included more than 80,000 French Catholics and an unknowable number of Indians… He had no choice but to continue to call on the provincial governments for men to garrison Britain's forts and money to pay and supply them…. P231. PJK: The same could be said of Afghanistan in late 2001, and Iraq in early 2003. We “won” the wars quickly… but had no plan, or resources, prepared to administer the large land masses/peoples.
- What made matters even worse in the view of the western Indians was that the British had failed to establish trading posts in the interior and then withdraw their troops from the region, as they had promised. Rather they had continued to maintain garrisons there, in imposing posts that suggested nothing so much as permanent occupation. P233.
- The Seven Years’ War and the subsequent Indian rebellion had strained the system of public finance to the breaking point, making British leaders all the more desperate to impose order on a vastly enlarged, disorderly imperial periphery. P242. PJK: I’m remembering Iraq once again. How to maintain order in such a large, foreign land?
- Grenville and his fellow ministers thought it self-evident that the colonies, which had gained so much in security and prosperity from the war, should shoulder the costs of their own defense as a first step toward assuming the larger costs of imperial administration. P243. PJK: Logical, but a policy that started Great Britain towards defeat in 1781.
- This colony, founded in 1681 as an experiment in pacifism and religious liberty by the aristocratic English Quaker William Penn, was one of the greatest anomalies of its day: an English colony that forswore the use of force against native peoples, but rather promised them peace and traded with them on fair and open terms. P11.
- As word spread among native groups that Pennsylvania offered a refuge from the wars that afflicted them, Penn’s colony became a haven for Indians as much as it was for European immigrants… the Quaker province could safely dispense with a militia because they effectively outsourced defense to Indian allies…… p11-12. PJK: brilliant policy… while it lasted.
- Braddock’s broad powers effectively made him Britain’s viceroy and North America: a radical departure from previous British policies toward the colonies, which had largely left matters of military defense to the colonists themselves. P57.
- At Whitehall and in Westminster public officials were severely aware that the debts Pitt’s policies had run up would somehow have to be repaid, and the vast new territories and non-English speaking peoples that were now part of the empire would need to be mastered. P229.
- The surrender of Canada had left him (Amherst) with an immense set of problems to solve, beginning with the administration of territories that in theory at least extended from Labrador to the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and which included more than 80,000 French Catholics and an unknowable number of Indians… He had no choice but to continue to call on the provincial governments for men to garrison Britain's forts and money to pay and supply them…. P231. PJK: The same could be said of Afghanistan in late 2001, and Iraq in early 2003. We “won” the wars quickly… but had no plan, or resources, prepared to administer the large land masses/peoples.
- What made matters even worse in the view of the western Indians was that the British had failed to establish trading posts in the interior and then withdraw their troops from the region, as they had promised. Rather they had continued to maintain garrisons there, in imposing posts that suggested nothing so much as permanent occupation. P233.
- The Seven Years’ War and the subsequent Indian rebellion had strained the system of public finance to the breaking point, making British leaders all the more desperate to impose order on a vastly enlarged, disorderly imperial periphery. P242. PJK: I’m remembering Iraq once again. How to maintain order in such a large, foreign land?
- Grenville and his fellow ministers thought it self-evident that the colonies, which had gained so much in security and prosperity from the war, should shoulder the costs of their own defense as a first step toward assuming the larger costs of imperial administration. P243. PJK: Logical, but a policy that started Great Britain towards defeat in 1781.
March 6, 2021
Having grown up in western Pennsylvania, I admit to having a greater interest than most Americans in this time period of our history. I remember school field trips to Forts Ligonier and Necessity. I've been to the Fort Pitt Museum, walked the outline of Fort Duquesne in Triangle Park, and visited Fort Western in Augusta, Maine (best historic site in Maine, the fort surviving mostly because it was turned into a mercantile at which Martha Ballard later shopped). But this isn't just about the men who lead the battles, although there is a good deal about them and their thoughts and battle movements mostly because their writings usually are what was preserved. I found that the author did a good job at being comprehensive and not just Anglocentric. He doesn't stick to the old, tired, and inaccurate Columbus and Jamestown beginnings. References are made to the Basque whalers in North America in 1372 and the settlement of St. Augustine in 1565. The French point of view is included. The worldwide impact of this conflict is examined from Germany to Spain to the African coast and to the Caribbean. The native Americans aren't just mere pawns of the Europeans but have their own agency and strategy. They also are not lumped together as one indistinguishable group (or just limited to the Iroquois), but are shown to be disparate groups often as much at odds with each other as the various Europeans in this war, at least until the pan-Indian movement usually narrowly identified as Pontiac's rebellion. It is clear that the author also did an extensive amount of research finding sources and items to give a more clear context of the world wide impact of this conflict. There are a large number of photos, both black and white and color, and maps. I do wish the illustrations had not been so small, some were difficult to read; perhaps, a problem more in the paperback version I read than in a hardcover copy. The book concludes by demonstrating how the fallout from the French and Indian War is fundamental in understanding the colonial American psyche and in making the Revolution inevitable.
I would conclude that the reverberations of the French and Indian War continue to this day. Many of the colonial leaders directly benefitted from this war. Consider George Washington and his ambitious land speculation in the Ohio valley, something I had not known of before this book (coded in school history textbooks as a career as a "surveyor"). The author ties the roots of Virginia's westward expansion needs to slavery. That impetus ultimately leads to the Native American genocide and the American Civil War and continues in civil unrest to this day.
I would conclude that the reverberations of the French and Indian War continue to this day. Many of the colonial leaders directly benefitted from this war. Consider George Washington and his ambitious land speculation in the Ohio valley, something I had not known of before this book (coded in school history textbooks as a career as a "surveyor"). The author ties the roots of Virginia's westward expansion needs to slavery. That impetus ultimately leads to the Native American genocide and the American Civil War and continues in civil unrest to this day.
April 18, 2023
This short book describes the period from 1755 through 1763 in which occurred the Seven Years War between France and the United Kingdom, resulting in the (temporary) British domination of eastern North America. The author does a masterful job providing a concise history of the war and how it led to the American Revolution just a decade later.
The author also describes the important role played by Native Americans in the outcome of the war. Not for nothing is the war also called the French and Indian War.
When I was young I lived in the Hudson Valley where there are many exotic sounding place names like Mohonk, Shawangunk, Ashokan and Esopus, that are of Native American origin. A third of the 62 counties in New York State carry Native American names like Manhattan, Erie, Niagara and Oneida. And when I was seven years old playing in the woods I found in the forest litter a perfectly preserved flint arrowhead, over a thousand years old, but still sharp. I still have it. So one can always feel the presence of Native Americans, but it's a ghost-like presence. Though the Iroquois Confederacy in particular did a masterful job as a power broker, dominating the other tribes through a combination of brutal war and skilled diplomacy, and skillfully played the French and British against each other, they were doomed. The Seven Years War sealed the fate of the Native Americans in the Ohio valley and Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York area.
The author also describes the important role played by Native Americans in the outcome of the war. Not for nothing is the war also called the French and Indian War.
When I was young I lived in the Hudson Valley where there are many exotic sounding place names like Mohonk, Shawangunk, Ashokan and Esopus, that are of Native American origin. A third of the 62 counties in New York State carry Native American names like Manhattan, Erie, Niagara and Oneida. And when I was seven years old playing in the woods I found in the forest litter a perfectly preserved flint arrowhead, over a thousand years old, but still sharp. I still have it. So one can always feel the presence of Native Americans, but it's a ghost-like presence. Though the Iroquois Confederacy in particular did a masterful job as a power broker, dominating the other tribes through a combination of brutal war and skilled diplomacy, and skillfully played the French and British against each other, they were doomed. The Seven Years War sealed the fate of the Native Americans in the Ohio valley and Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York area.
February 15, 2018
Unless you are quite the history buff, you probably have a vague recollection that the French and Indian war had something to do with the US war for independence, and that it wasn’t actually fought between the French and the Indians. The War that Made America fills out the conflict with all the details we never learned in school—like that there were multiple tribes involved in the conflict, some pro-English, some pro-French, and all sophisticated, powerful strategic actors in their own right. Frankly, just hearing the names of different tribes rather than just “the Indians” was worth the price of admission, if you ask me. Anderson also weaves in the geopolitics of the Seven Years war in Europe and beyond to give context and depth to what can seem to be a fairly simple, straightforward event. He takes it even further with a really insightful and compelling analysis of how the war shaped the future—of George Washington, the American conflict with the British, the American relationship with native tribes, and the whole British Empire. Despite the scope and breadth of his analysis, he has written an accessible and fascinating account that fills in the gaps usually missing in the history of colonial America.
July 16, 2023
To us North American provincials the Seven Years War was known as the French and Indian War. Churchill referred to this larger war as the first real world war. In this short book Anderson quickly gives mention to the fact that this war was fought in places like Gibraltar, the Philipenes, Havana, India, all over Europe, the North Atlantic, the Med, and the Indian. This is an easy, big picture, read on the overview of how the U.S. was later shaped by this conflict.
It is funny to keep in mind that during all this time most everyone looked at the region covered in this book (Canada, upstate NY, western PA, western VA, Ohio, Michigan) as empty, unimportant, backwaters. Forts were nothing but little earthworks, maybe some wooden buildings, 100s of miles from anything. Individual battles in Europe had more forces engaged on both sides than the French and British had in all of North America. Well worth reading but it is clearly just an introduction to a vastly larger story.
It is funny to keep in mind that during all this time most everyone looked at the region covered in this book (Canada, upstate NY, western PA, western VA, Ohio, Michigan) as empty, unimportant, backwaters. Forts were nothing but little earthworks, maybe some wooden buildings, 100s of miles from anything. Individual battles in Europe had more forces engaged on both sides than the French and British had in all of North America. Well worth reading but it is clearly just an introduction to a vastly larger story.
May 12, 2021
I would not say this was a “short history” of the French and Indian War. Rather, I would say that it was very clear and readable, explaining and describing the events and people that led up to this “first world war.” I had always heard it explained that the Stamp tax was enacted because Great Britain had spent so much money defending the colonies from the French. I had not understood the larger field of play, from Quebec, the lands of the Native Americans, Manila, the French Virgin Islands, all costing so much in militia, trained soldiers, and supplies.
The hubris of General Braddock, Lieutenant General Amherst, Lord Dunmore and others versus the colonists’ belief that they were part of the British empire who deserved to be treated as equal citizens was particularly enlightening.
Very well done and recommended for those interested in The American Revolution.
The hubris of General Braddock, Lieutenant General Amherst, Lord Dunmore and others versus the colonists’ belief that they were part of the British empire who deserved to be treated as equal citizens was particularly enlightening.
Very well done and recommended for those interested in The American Revolution.
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