For nearly a century, the French and the British had coexisted peacefully in North America. The French explored and claimed a vast region of the land, from Louisiana in the South to the Great Lakes in the North. This region, enclosed by four major cities: Montreal, Detroit, New Orleans, and Quebec, was the centre of the French empire in North America. (www.digitalhistory.org) For the British, their empire was located at the eastern coastal line of the Atlantic Ocean. Both the French and the British had built communities, trading posts and fortresses to secure a hold on their own claims.

Yet, by 1750's, things began to change as both English and French settlements expanded. The religious and commercial tensions began to produce many new conflicts. During this period, the English were getting prepare for the great population leap across the App

For the next five years, tensions between the French and the British continued to increase until the summer of 1754 when war finally broke out. The governor of Virginia sent a militia force into the Ohio valley to challenge the French expansion by building Fort Necessity and attacking a French army. The French countered this action by attacking the Fort Necessity, and the British forces surrendered. This clash between the British and French marked the beginning of the Seven Years War in North America. Yet, it was not until 1756 when the war was officially declared. (web.syr.edu/~laroux/index.html)

In the following year, the British continued to show their ambition of keeping their dominance at sea. In June 1756, England "had stolen a march on her opponents by seizing 300 French merchant vessels, with their 8,000 sailors, lying at anchor in her ports."(Rude, 1972, p. 228). This surprise attack had caught the French off guard for the French were not prepared for any battle and the British had carried out this plan secretly without declaring war. Now, with this attack, France was forced to formally declared war with England.

As General Jeffery Amherst's gun pounded Louisbourg, Lt. Colonel John Bradstreet of the Royal Americans led three thousand men to the Mohawk River, near Schenectady, ready to take over Fort Frontenac. Fort Frontenac was located where Lake Ontaio joins the St. Lawrence River and it acted as the chief supply base for French outposts on the Great Lake and along the Ohio River. Thus, having control over this fort was important to both countries. Yet, after France captured Oswego from England, they believed that their enemy had abandoned the plan of recapturing Mohawk region. Therefore, the defence at Fort Frontenac was very weak. The French officer even complained "it shook whenever a cannon was fired from the walls" (www.digitalhistory.org). When the British army attacked the fort Frontenac, there was barely any resistance. After two days, they captured this fort and again. Once this fort is captured. France's chain of forts to westward was broken.

The next important strategic location that was being captured by the British army was Fort Duquesne that was located in Ohio. At first, the British were encountering lots of resistance. Despite this setback, the British army continued to push ahead confidently and finally, they successfully captured this fort. Now, with all these strategic locations under their control, the British forces were converging on St. Lawrence, core of Canada: Eastward of Lake Ontario, North from Lake Champlain Region and up the main St. Lawrence River from the sea. The St. Lawrence River was opened for any British fleet to go up and down stream and provide support and extra supplies to the soldiers that were ready to fight for the control of the centre of New France. Furthermore, British isolated France from the coastal line, "depriving them of a great source of experienced seamen, to prevent the revival of their navy".(Anderson, 1976, p.300) France is now situated in a very dangerous position for!

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From the beginning of the war, the British had shown their dominating position at sea. Before the Seven Y

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