Background The European countries were constantly fighting All the European countries tried to control as much land and trade as possible More land+More trade+More gold= More wealth and power This is the basic concept of mercantilism

Colonial Land Grab Colonists "bumped" into each other Colonists explored each others' land Colonists claimed each others' land The Native Americans were always caught in the middle of this The French forts in the Ohio River Valley angered the British

The French Irritation In the 1750s, France started building forts around the Great lakes and into the Ohio River Valley The French had better trade relation with the Native Americans, especially the British France controlled land fro the St.Lawrence River to New Orleans, and they wanted to control Western Pennsylvania

Pontiac's rebellion The colonists moved onto Native American land in the West Pontiac's rebellion was the Indians' response to that. They attacked settlements and forts Smallpox infested the blankets of the Indians The Indians retreated

Proclamation of 1763 There were too many problems with the Indians The Proclamation of 1763 forbid colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains The colonists became upset