The French and Indian War: a fight over the Ohio Valley, and what it led to

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   After the peace, 1763 (cards A to D). Card A, the Royal Proclamation (October 7, 1763; issued by King George III's government for royal governors, colonists and Native nations; spelling and capitals as printed; cuts marked): "And whereas it is just and reasonable, and essential to our Interest, and the Security of our Colonies, that the several Nations or Tribes of Indians with whom We are connected, and who live under our Protection, should not be … disturbed in the Possession of such Parts of Our Dominions and Territories as, not having been ceded to or purchased by Us, are reserved to them …" and "And whereas great Frauds and Abuses have been committed in purchasing Lands of the Indians, to the great Prejudice of our Interests, and to the great Dissatisfaction of the said Indians …". Card B, a summary in our words from the Office of the Historian: the Proclamation forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains and created the provinces of Quebec, West Florida and East Florida. It was largely ineffective. Settlers and land speculators ignored it, and the British military was unwilling to remove settlers by force. Some western land was claimed by private land companies in which the Virginia elite had invested heavily, and the Proclamation angered both settlers and that elite. Card C, same source: Pontiac, an Ottawa leader, sent messages in wampum belts to communities across the Midwest to plan attacks on British forts. Britain lost all its western forts except Fort Pitt and Detroit. War with Native nations continued from 1764 into 1766. News of the attacks reached London before the Proclamation was issued. Card D, same source: when British forces took over former French forts, they stopped the French practice of giving gifts to Native allies. That weakened pro-British leaders in Native communities and angered other leaders.

2. 1.

   Which statement about the Proclamation's own words in card A is best supported, Ari asks?

   • Britain framed the rule as serving its own interest and curbing fraud
   • Britain admitted it had no right to govern North America
   • Britain said the lands in question already belonged to colonists
   • Britain wrote the rule just to protect Native nations for their own sake
3. 2.

   A student says the Proclamation stopped settlers from crossing the mountains. How strong is that claim, given cards A and B, Bo asks?

   • Strong: card B says Britain created three new provinces
   • Strong: card A says the lands are reserved to Native nations
   • Weak: card B says settlers and speculators ignored it
   • Weak: card B says no colonists lived west of the mountains
4. 3.

   By 1764, why might Pontiac's allies and colonial land speculators both have been unhappy with British policy, Jun asks?

   • Native leaders lost gifts and saw British forts; speculators were barred from land they had invested in
   • Native leaders wanted the Proclamation repealed; speculators wanted it enforced to protect their claims
   • Both wanted Britain to leave the Appalachians to France, so French forts could return there
   • Both lost French gifts and the right to cross the mountains once the Proclamation was issued

5. Use this

   War debt and taxes, 1763 to 1766 (cards E to H, summaries in our words from the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian). Card E, 1763: Britain came out of the Seven Years' War with heavy debts. Prime Minister George Grenville cut the duty on sugar and molasses but began to enforce it strictly. The old duty had rarely been collected, so colonists ended up paying more. New York and Massachusetts sent formal protests to Parliament. Card F, 1764: Parliament passed the Currency Act, which forbade the colonies from printing paper money. That made it harder for colonists to pay their debts and taxes. Card G, 1765: Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which required a government stamp on legal papers and other paper goods. Only one member of Parliament objected to Parliament's right to tax the colonies. After the news arrived, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions denying that Parliament had the authority to tax the colonies. In October, delegates from nine colonies met and sent petitions saying the same. Card H, 1766: colonists boycotted British goods, and a recession hurt trade. British merchants lobbied for the Stamp Act's repeal. The British government decided it was easier to repeal the act than to enforce it.

6. 4.

   Cards E to G describe a chain after the war. Which chain is best supported, Noah asks?

   • The Stamp Act protests ended the war debt, so Britain stopped taxing the colonies
   • Colonial protests created the war debt, so taxes followed to pay for it
   • War debt led to stricter duties and new taxes, and colonists protested
   • The Currency Act caused the sugar duty and then the war that left Britain in debt
7. 5.

   Card G says only one member of Parliament objected to the Stamp Act. How would colonists have seen that vote, Ren asks?

   • As agreeable, since they wanted just lower prices and not a say in the tax
   • As proof that the tax was fair, since nearly the whole of Parliament voted for it
   • As a sign that Parliament needed more members to vote again before the tax could stand
   • As beside the point, since they said Parliament had no authority to tax them
8. 6.

   To learn how ordinary merchants felt about the boycott in 1765 and 1766, which source is best, Tala asks?

   • Parliament's vote count on the Stamp Act
   • A modern list of the acts passed from 1763 to 1775
   • Virginia's resolutions, which speak for the colonists as a whole
   • Merchants' letters and account books from 1765 and 1766
9. 7.

   Compare Britain's approach in card E (1763) with card H (1766). What changed, Zee asks?

   • Colonists changed from backing the debt to opposing it once Britain stopped enforcing the tax
   • Britain moved from enforcing a tax strictly to repealing one when enforcing it was too hard
   • Britain moved from repealing taxes in 1763 to enforcing them strictly after the 1766 protests
   • Britain gave up its claim to tax the colonies for good once it repealed the Stamp Act in 1766

10. Use this

    After the peace, 1763 (cards A to D). Card A, the Royal Proclamation (October 7, 1763; issued by King George III's government for royal governors, colonists and Native nations; spelling and capitals as printed; cuts marked): "And whereas it is just and reasonable, and essential to our Interest, and the Security of our Colonies, that the several Nations or Tribes of Indians with whom We are connected, and who live under our Protection, should not be … disturbed in the Possession of such Parts of Our Dominions and Territories as, not having been ceded to or purchased by Us, are reserved to them …" and "And whereas great Frauds and Abuses have been committed in purchasing Lands of the Indians, to the great Prejudice of our Interests, and to the great Dissatisfaction of the said Indians …". Card B, a summary in our words from the Office of the Historian: the Proclamation forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains and created the provinces of Quebec, West Florida and East Florida. It was largely ineffective. Settlers and land speculators ignored it, and the British military was unwilling to remove settlers by force. Some western land was claimed by private land companies in which the Virginia elite had invested heavily, and the Proclamation angered both settlers and that elite. Card C, same source: Pontiac, an Ottawa leader, sent messages in wampum belts to communities across the Midwest to plan attacks on British forts. Britain lost all its western forts except Fort Pitt and Detroit. War with Native nations continued from 1764 into 1766. News of the attacks reached London before the Proclamation was issued. Card D, same source: when British forces took over former French forts, they stopped the French practice of giving gifts to Native allies. That weakened pro-British leaders in Native communities and angered other leaders.

11. 8.

    Cards A and B both concern the Proclamation. What do they show together about Britain's aims and results, Kira asks?

    • Britain wanted to reserve land for Native nations but could not make settlers obey
    • Britain wanted just to raise money from the western land, and the rule did raise it
    • Britain wanted to open the western land to settlers, and the rule succeeded in doing so
    • Britain wanted to attack Native nations in the west, and settlers helped it to do so
12. 9.

    Which evidence would best show whether the Proclamation line reduced settlement west of the mountains, Luz asks?

    • King George III's own statement that the line was needed
    • Land grants and settlement records from 1763 to 1775
    • A map of the line drawn in 1763
    • A textbook chapter that summarizes the Proclamation
13. 10.

    A student writes: "The Proclamation line caused the Revolution." What is the best reply based on these cards, Milo asks?

    • It is proved: settlers were angry after 1763, so the line caused the Revolution
    • It added to colonial anger, but one source cannot show it was the cause
    • It is false: card B says no one was angry
    • It is false because the line was drawn in 1763