The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact

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The Treaty of Paris (1763) and Its Impact

The terms of the Treaty of Paris at the end of the French and Indian War were harsh for France. All French territory on the mainland of North America was lost. The British received Quebec and the Ohio Valley. The port of New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory were ceded to Spain for their efforts as a British ally.

The Americans had long felt threatened by France. They needed the might of the British military to keep them safe. With France gone, this was no longer the case. Now the Americans were free to chart their own destinies.

The French and Indian War did not bring the British and the Americans closer together. British troops regarded the Americans as crude, lacking culture. The New Englanders found the British Redcoats to be profane. New Englanders did not like taking orders. There was considerable resistance to helping the British at all until William Pitt promised to reimburse the colonists. Smugglers continued to trade with the French and Spanish enemies throughout the war; intensifying the tension.

The American colonists did feel closer to each other as a result of the French and Indian War. Intercolonial rivalry disappeared in the face of a common enemy. The first sign of nationalism was seen when settlers from all thirteen colonies lay down their lives together in battle. The joy of victory was an American triumph. In many ways, the French and Indian War was a coming of age for the English colonies. They had over a century of established history and a flourishing economy. The Americans proved they could work together to defeat a common foe. Before long, they would do so again.