Causes of the French and Indian wars
In 1689, England's colonies in North America were located along the Atlantic coast. French settlements lay north of the English colonies, along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. France also had outposts to the south, in the Mississippi River Valley. England claimed all the territory that stretched inland from its own colonies. The French also claimed much of this land. Until about 1750, however, various Indian tribes actually controlled the inland territory. Both the English and the French traded with the Indians for furs.
At first, the French and English struggled with each other for control of the fur trade. Later, they also fought for the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. In addition, they disputed each other's claims to fishing grounds off the coast of Newfoundland. Religious hostility added to the tension. Almost all the French were Roman Catholics, and most of the English were Protestants. These factors contributed to wars between the French and English in the 1700's.
Excerpt adapted from the "French and Indian wars" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999