USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The French and Indian War began over the specific issue of whether the upper Ohio River valley was a part of the British Empire, and therefore open for trade and settlement by Virginians and Pennsylvanians, or part of the French Empire.

Detailed explanation-2: -The French and Indian War, the North American phase of the larger Seven Years’ War, began after a series of incidents in the upper Ohio River valley, which the French and British governments both claimed as their territory.

Detailed explanation-3: -The rivers were their main way of traveling. The French wanted to control the American Indian trade in the Ohio River Valley and keep the Pennsylvania traders out. They also needed the American Indians living there to be their allies. Unlike the British, the French did not plan to settle in the Ohio River Valley.

Detailed explanation-4: -One disputed territory was the upper Ohio River valley. Wanting to limit British influence along their frontier, the French built a string of forts from Lake Erie towards the forks of the Ohio (present-day Pittsburgh).

Detailed explanation-5: -By 1753, the French had claimed a vast area of North America. The Ohio Valley provided resources for settlers, such as fur-bearing animals that brought a profit from the fur trade. Both French and British fur traders competed for these resources.