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 Treaty of Paris of 1763 (not to be confused with the Treaty of Paris of 1783 that ended the American Revolution) awarded the Ohio River Valley and present-day Canada to the English Empire.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -The American Indians were fighting to maintain control of their land and their cultural future. The French claimed the Upper Ohio River Valley. They wanted to trade with the American Indians and control the area. The British also claimed the Upper Ohio River Valley.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.