Chapter 6 Discussion Questions

  1. Explain the history of French colonization efforts in the New World. Why did New France grow more slowly than the English colonies?
  1. What impact did French fur trappers have on the names of towns and geographical features in the New World? How did French fur trappers affect the environment? What was the importance of French Jesuit priests? What were the two most important cities that the French established?
  1. Describe how King William’s War (1689-1697) and Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) were fought. How did the British and French feel about America at this stage in terms of value? How did Great Britain gain from their victory in these conflicts?
  1. How did the War of Jenkins’s Ear begin? What larger conflict would it merge with? How would that affect North American holdings?
  1. A dispute over which region would ignite the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War)? How did the war begin? What was unique about this Anglo-French colonial war as opposed to the first three?
  1. What does the following quote by William Pitt mean, “America was conquered in Germany?”
  1. What was the purpose of the Albany Congress? What did Benjamin Franklin propose at the meeting? Why did the plan fail? What did Franklin create to support the Albany Congress?
  1. Explain how the beginning of the war in North America went poorly for the British.
  1. What are some things William Pitt did to turn the tide of the war for the British? What was the significance of the Battle of Quebec? What territories changed hands as a result of the war?
  1. How did the French and Indian War affect attitudes of the colonists to the Mother Country and vice versa? Despite efforts for unification, how did the colonies exhibit disunity during the conflict?
  1. Explain the aftermath of the French and Indian War. What was the name of the treaty that ended the war?
  1. What was Pontiac’s Rebellion? How did the British quell the rebellion? How would the rebellion impact the passing of the Proclamation of 1763? How did the colonists feel about the passage of this law?