“Let Us Unite Our Strength”: The Role of Diplomacy in the French and Indian War
Open Access
Author:
Lowes, Catlin
Area of Honors:
History (Behrend)
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Joseph Michael Beilein, Jr., Thesis Supervisor Amy Carney, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
French and Indian War Pennsylvania Diplomacy Seven Years War
Abstract:
The French and Indian War began in the Ohio Valley, where the British and French tried to seize land and assert their authority over the Native Americans living there. The war started because of spectacular failures of diplomacy, and the treating of the Ohio Indians as imperial subjects. As the war progressed, both the French and the British experienced morale-shattering defeats and hardships. It was only when the British began treating the Indians living in Pennsylvania as allies, rather than subjects, that they were able to obtain victory. The war was decided by diplomacy and trade goods, rather than muskets and bayonets. Unfortunately, that diplomatic spirit proved short lived, and the past was quickly forgotten.
