Everything happens for a reason, but sometimes a person must determine whether what happens is justifiable or not. This is the case with British policies passed after the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War. It must be carefully examined whether the colonists had the right to resist the policies that were imposed on them at that time. The causes, context, and overall outcome of the French and Indian War were the reason many policies were passed that, in return, most American colonists resisted. The North American conflict that existed during this time was between Great Britain and France and changed the direction and history of an entire nation. The war began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The war provided Britain with enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over policies and acts, and the payment of war expenses that followed, led to colonial discontent and, finally, to the American Revolution. Britain and France have long been neck and neck when it comes to having colonial powers. They constantly had disagreements and problems with each other, even outside of trying to control the colonies in the United States of America. However, the focus will be on the conflict with the United States which, in turn, changed and shaped the course of that region's history. The main reason why any kind of rivalry existed between them was that both colonial powers looked to the new world as a major source of income and as one of the largest additions to their already huge empires. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay “The French and Indian War resulted from ongoing frontier tensions in North America as French and British imperial officials and settlers sought to extend the power of each country's sphere of influence into the frontier regions.” Both countries they wanted to keep their influence active in the region while maintaining their power and, eventually, taking control of it. They also wanted to keep their source of money and income flowing smoothly, so as not to collapse in the end the border between the French and British possessions was not well defined. It became a problem when the land of the upper Ohio River valley became their dispute. The French had built several forts in this region in an attempt to strengthen their claims to the territory. However, the British colonial army, led by Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, attempted to liberate the French in 1754. Yet, unfortunately for them, they were outnumbered and, in return, defeated by the French. When news of Washington's failure reached then British Prime Minister Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle, he called for a swift, undeclared retaliatory strike. However, his enemies in his own government's cabinet circumvented him by making the strike plans public, thus alerting the French government. This completely transformed a quick battle into a full-scale war. This event, in turn, demonstrates that the causes of the French and Indian War had been brewing for some time, even before the war began, and would ultimately achieve results that would change American history forever. France had slowly expanded further into the Ohio River Valley, an area already under British control. This event pushed the English to fight against these expansions of the French on their territory. They had slowly taken control and renamed the areas as New France. This event was the final strawthe vase for Great Britain. The war officially began in 1753 when the British asked the French to forcibly leave Fort LeBoeuf, which they claimed had been built on British territory. The French were against it, claiming it had been built on their territory. Then, the British captured several French forts and in return the French retaliated against the British troops and attacked Fort Necessity. It was at this point that the war officially began. According to Rebecca Brooks, “France considered the Ohio River valley a part of the colony of New France and Great Britain considered it a part of the colony of Virginia. The area had many valuable resources, such as a vibrant fur trading industry and access to the Ohio River, which was a vital transportation corridor for the region.” The Ohio River Valley was an extremely important piece of territory to both Great Britain and France. It allowed the English to expand eastward into mainland America, while the French saw it as an extension of their current territory, making both superpowers want to control the territory as it would be beneficial to their empires. For the French, this would help glue together their extended territories north into Canada and south into Mississippi. For the English, however, settlers from neighboring states wanted to settle in the valley. With this land, the area would be of great financial benefit to anyone who owned it. The French could continue to trade along the Mississippi River, and whoever controlled the Ohio River would control trade in mainland America. The escalation of the war intensified further as both wanted to claim the area for themselves, which ultimately led to outcomes that they had to resolve in a reasonable manner. This war did not start well for the English. The British government sent General Edward Braddock to the colonies as commander-in-chief of the British North American Army, but he rejected potential Indian allies willing to help, and colonial leaders failed to cooperate with him. On July 13, 1755, Braddock died after being mortally wounded in an attack on a failed attempt to capture Fort Duquesne, located in present-day Pittsburgh. The war in North America remained at a stalemate, with neither side making any progress, for several years, while in Europe the French achieved a major naval victory and captured the British Mediterranean possession of Minorca in 1756. However, after 1757 the war began to turn in Britain's favor. The British army defeated the French army in India, and in 1759 British forces invaded and conquered Canada. Throughout the colonies, the message was clear that what had happened was too much and would not be tolerated and that the government would have to be tough on the colonists. After a clear and decisive victory by the English against the French in Montreal, Canada, the English, French, and Spanish agreed to the Treaty of Paris in 1763. During the peace conference, it was decided what would be done with the English. French and Spanish territories. As a result, the victors of this war had aroused many negative feelings in Europe and the United States. “The war provided Great Britain with enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over subsequent frontier policy and payment of war expenses led to colonial discontent and, ultimately, the American Revolution.” To further fuel their global war against France and its allies, Britain had to rely primarily on giving money to its allies in Europe, such as Prussia, to fight against the French.They also heavily taxed their new colony to finance their military operations in North America. The final battle to end the war was in Montreal, Canada, where the British Army managed to defeat the remaining French forces. The French surrendered and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763. The treaty required that the French give up all their territories in North America and that the Spanish must give up control of Florida, but Cuba was returned to them. Most treaties, when signed, were written that the warring powers would end the wars with an equal distribution of power, however, in this treaty the only true victor was Great Britain, which caused the French to dislike the English even more and seek revenge later. They weren't the only people who were enraged by the newly established British policies. The newly acquired colonists did not much like being taxed on exported goods without being represented in parliament. To further anger them and to cover war debts, they taxed the colonists on all printed media. The Stamp Act was implemented in 1765 and imposed direct taxes on all printed materials for the colonists. “The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used.” Everything from playing cards, legal documents, newspapers, ship documents, licenses and other publications was taxed. If it was something that was printed on paper, a mandatory tax was placed on it. The overall result of the Stamp Act was resistance and opposition from the colonists. They did not approve of what was being done to them and eventually the act was revoked, although Britain still believed it had the right to impose acts on the people. Also during this time, Britain needed to save their British East Indies tea trading industry by taxing tea without being represented in parliament, which they rebelled against, starting the American Revolution. This event marked the beginning of the end of the war, but led to the passage of many other acts and, ultimately, another war. After the French and Indian War, the British were heavily in debt, and in 1763 the British Parliament passed the Tea Act as a way to save the British East India Company. Financially, they were not doing well, so to solve the problems, similar products would be boycotted and they would be allowed to sell their tea at a lower price with a small tax. This, however, did not please the colonialists who were still angry about the other taxes imposed on them and also feared that the British East India Company would have a monopoly on the trade. “The act granted the company the right to ship its tea directly to the colonies without first landing it in England, and to agents who would have the exclusive right to sell the tea in the colonies.” This Tea Act, which was enacted in 1763, due to the heavy debt Britain had fallen into after the French and Indian War, was a failure from the start. To improve their financial situation, the British parliament decided to impose several taxes on the newly acquired colony. The Tea Act stated that the English could ship their tea duty-free to the colonies at a cheaper price, but there was a small tax to pay. The colonists, however, were already quite upset that the British parliament was taxing them without them being represented in parliament, they also feared that this event would give the British East India Company a monopoly on the trade.