The French And Indian War (1962)

[Music] imagine a morning 200 years ago the French guns of Fort tyon dooga are trained on a British Army advancing through the woods a battle is about to be fought in a war that will decide once and forever which of the world's two great Powers will rule in North America France or England but what if France had won instead of England how different things might have been I might be speaking to you in French our literature laws entire history would be quite different you must know something something about this decisive and important French and Indian war or seven years war if you are to understand American history and our development as a nation we'll come back to the battle that was fought here at taon dooga but now let's move to the University of Michigan to the Clem library of Americana here at the library we've collected thousands of old books manuscripts and Maps many of them written by persons who actually lived in colonial times like this history of the French dominions or this one and iwitness account of the French and Indian War this is my friend Lieutenant Tomkins of the royal Americans a regiment raised in this country to fight the French Tomkins here took part in the first full-scale war fought in North America this map we have here was actually made in 1755 the year the war started not much like the North America we know today is it with Virginia extending clear up into modern Michigan still it's an amazingly accurate map showing the English colonies on the Atlantic Ocean The Thin Line of French settlements along the St Lawrence through the Great Lakes region and down to the Lower Mississippi now it was in this area of the Eastern Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley where the trouble started both England and France claimed these territories so the war they fought was over land a war between two totally different Colonial systems for instance the English colonies had a million and a half people by 1755 living in communities like Philadelphia Boston and Williamsburg Virginia they developed trades and industries and their own ideas about self-government the cities of Quebec and Montreal were the principal French centers in North America in all of New France there were only 70,000 people who lived mostly under a feudal system of agriculture or roam the Wilderness engaged in the fur trade French Traders lived with the Indians and treated them fairly often taking Indian women as their wives this is one reason the French were so successful in winning the Friendship of practically all the Indian tribes the English took Indian land and only sometimes paid for what they took in a treaty with the iroy for example the British gave the Indians 200 shirts 47 rifles four dozen Jews Harps and a few blankets for an area that now includes a half dozen states but whatever land the English claimed the French also claimed by right of Discovery and exploration and often used their Indian allies to convince the English settlers they weren't wanted in North America there was open Warfare on the frontier from 1690 through the 1740s as the French and the Indians tried to drive the English settlers out of New England and upper New York state now in the early 1750s an allout war was about to begin in this disputed area the Ohio Valley the French had begun a series of forts stretching south of Lake Erie and when the English governor of Virginia heard about it he sent a young major of militia by the name of George Washington to order the French out of the area but instead Washington himself was driven off and had to return to Virginia George II of England and Louis the 15th of France were somewhat indifferent to what was going going on in the colonies with the expenses of maintaining a court and enjoying themselves there wasn't much money left to spend on a war that would be fought 3,000 M away France did send 2,000 soldiers to bolster his regiments in Canada and England sent about a thousand under the command of Major General Edward bradock 45 years in the service Brave tough disagreeable and convinced that his Red Coats trained in the traditional European method of fighting could beat [Music] anybody bradic marched on Fort Duan at the head of the Ohio River but discovered too late that the rules of European Warfare were worthless in the Backwoods of Western Pennsylvania 800 French and Indians hit him by surprise shot five horses from under him before he was mortally wounded and his confused and disorganized British regulars cut to Pieces who would have thought it radic murmured dying of his wounds we shall know better how to deal with them another time but for 3 years the English met with one defeat after another they were no match for the brilliant Marquee de monom don't let the powdered wig fool you montc was a wound scarred combat veteran who knew how to fight his seasoned troops captured Fort asgo on Lake Ontario marched down across New York to Lake George and took Fort William Henry but after the battle montc was unable to stop his Indian allies from scalping and carrying off hundreds of English prisoners Humanity groans a French officer wrote at being forced to use such Monsters the English General abber cromby said we'll make them pay he sailed up Lake Champlain with 50 15,000 men to attack montc at Fort taond deroga abomi threw his Highlanders and his grenadiers at the French positions pushed them headlong into the withering fire of the French and didn't know enough to retreat until there were 2,000 dead British soldiers on the field only the Colonials the Americans were successful against the French between 1755 and 58 these militia men and frontiersmen whom bradock had called unfit for military service under such leaders as Sir William Johnson Ephraim Williams killed an action against the French and Robert Rogers organizer of the famous Rangers they fought the Indians on even terms and stopped the French cold at the Battle of Lake [Music] George by this time the French and English were fighting in Europe and in colonial possessions as far away as India the French and Indian War was now just one aspect of a much larger conflict called the Seven Years War Prussia sided with England Russia and Austria with France now this is important to remember because when England saw that Frederick the great of Prussia and his tough well-trained Army could hold off France and her allies England was able to move more of her troops from Europe to North America now at this time a very remarkable man by the name of William pit became England's Secretary of State in charge of War I am sure I can save this country pit said modestly and immediately reshuffled the Army High command he selected two combat Colonels Jeffrey ammer and James wolf and sent them off to win North America for England their first objective was Louisberg flying off the coast of Nova Scotia and guarding the entrance to the St Lawrence River Louisberg was the strongest French Fortress in North America ammeron wolf pounded away at Louisberg for 7 weeks and on July 26th 1758 the French surrendered now the English fleet was able to blockade the St Lawrence and prevent French ships from bringing in supplies and reinforcements the English were on the offensive at last they took Fort Frac on Lake Ontario Jeffrey ammer marched into Fort taond deroga and the French were on the ropes staggering so now pit thought hit the French where it would hurt the most and without batting an eye decided to take Quebec the very heart of New France and the man for the job James wolf only 32 of frail sickly irritable redhead and yet as a leader of men wolf had few equals this is James wolf who came to Quebec in 1759 a fighter a leader a master at amphibious Warfare this is the Marquee deont K who had never been beaten by a British Army from the river Wolf's Fleet bombarded Quebec All Summer Long with little lat up wolf landed over 4,000 British troops on the French side of the St Lawrence they scaled the heights to The Plains of Abraham a short distance from the city and were in battle formation almost before the French knew they had landed monom rallied his troops and led them out to meet the English for both sides it would be all or nothing now Victory or [Music] ruin the English waited until the French approached within 40 Paces of their lines and then with one deafening crash the most perfect Valley ever fired on a battlefield burst forth as from a single monstrous weapon [Music] as the smoke cleared wolf was hit shot in the wrist then through the chest in the French Camp monom was also dying of [Music] wounds the funeral of montc was the funeral of New France there were other engagements before the final French surrender at Montreal a year later but at Quebec British discipline and British muskets had already decided the fate and future of North America the Old Reliable Brown Bess by the Treaty of Peace in 1763 France was forced to give up forever all her important possessions in the new world I can't can't help wondering however what it would be like in America today if France had won the war instead of England would the signs and sounds of all our cities be French as they still are in Quebec and monre all would I be speaking French to you now kesu P what do you think [Music] la