The French & Indian War (1755-1763)

Twenty years before the American Revolution, France and Britain's struggle for North America sparked the first world war. Called the French and Indian War, it would change the face of America, especially for the American Indians and the colonists.

France's influence in North America was tied to the fur trade -- they set up trading posts in Canada and around the Great Lakes, and maintained relationships with the native Indians. Meanwhile, British colonists settled along the Atlantic coast -- pushing the American Indians further inward. In the 1750's, France and Britain were both building empires, and came to blows over the land between their American settlements -- the Ohio River Valley. However, the Indians also called this land home, and they would play a valuable role in the war by tipping the balance of power in favor of one of the European empires.

British policies that came out of French and Indian War like taxation and land treaties would spark the American Revolution. Meanwhile, the war would also provide a training ground for one of the United States' greatest leaders -- George Washington.