French and Indian Wars IntroductionFrench and Indian Wars,
1689–1763, the name given by American historians to the North
American colonial wars between Great Britain and France in the
late 17th and the 18th cent. They were really campaigns in the
worldwide struggle for empire and were roughly linked to wars of
the European coalitions. At the time they were viewed in Europe
as only an unimportant aspect of the struggle, and, although the
stakes were Canada, the American West, and the West Indies, the
fortunes of war in Europe had more effect in determining the
winner than the fighting in the disputed territory itself. To
the settlers in America, however, the rivalry of the two powers
was of immediate concern, for the fighting meant not only raids
by the French or the British but also the horrors of tribal
border warfare. The conflict may be looked on, from the American
viewpoint, as a single war with interruptions. The ultimate
aim—domination of the eastern part of the continent—was the
same; and the methods—c