Why was it called the French and Indian War?
Answers
Answer:
The name comes from the fact that Indian tribes (Native Americans) were fighting for the French against the British, who were encroaching on the tribal lands. Actually, many tribes resented the French as well, and sided with the British and colonials.
The French and Indian War was the first war that started in North America and spread to Europe. It involved the French based in Canada on one side against the British based in New England and the middle colonies on the other side. While Indians fought on both sides, the French were often more successful at not antagonizing the natives,and so the vast majority of the native auxiliaries involved were on the French side. From a British American point of view, the colonists were fighting against the French and the Indians, hence the name 'French and Indian War'. In Europe and elsewhere, it was and still is known as the Seven Years War.
One cause of the war was that both the British and the French claimed the vast territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The French were doing well by trapping and by trading furs with the Indians, and they feared being displaced by British settlers.