Join or Die TN Text

Join or Die

4th grade

Social Studies

Chapter Two: Join or Die

I am learning about a time in history called the French and Indian War. This war
was important because it was about who controlled land in North America.

The British colonies, where I live, were along the Atlantic coast. The French had
land in Canada and wanted more land along the Mississippi River. At first, there
were no problems because the British and French lands were far apart.

As the British colonies grew, they started moving further into the land. This made it
clear that there needed to be a border between the British and French lands. Both
groups wanted to be friends with the Native American tribes living in between them.
They asked the Native Americans to help them fight against each other. This
created a lot of fighting and problems.

In the 1750s, the French built forts in the Ohio River Valley to

protect their land. One important fort was called Fort Duquesne. The
colonial governments of Virginia and Pennsylvania were worried
about this fort. They thought that if the French had a trading post
there, it would stop their colonies from growing. They also feared that
the French would encourage Native Americans to attack their
colonies.

In May of 1754, Virginia sent 40 colonial soldiers led by a young man
named George Washington to Fort Duquesne. They won a small battle, but
later had to give up at a place called Fort Necessity. This small event started
a big conflict called the French and Indian War, which lasted nearly ten
years.

Not every Native American tribe fought with the French, but many did. For
the first time, the 13 American colonies tried to come together. Seven
colonies sent representatives to a meeting in Albany, New York. They talked
about organizing, raising taxes, and creating an army for protection. One of
the leaders of this plan was Benjamin Franklin, who was also a newspaper
editor.

Benjamin Franklin printed a drawing in his newspaper showing the need
for the colonies to unite. The drawing showed a snake cut into eight
pieces, each piece representing a colony. This was one of the first times
people talked about working together.

The British and the French fought many battles during the French and
Indian War. A leader named William Pitt helped the British win because
there were many more British colonists than French colonists. A key
moment was when the British captured Quebec, a city in Canada.

In the end, France gave up its land in North America, allowing Great Britain to
control more territory. The French and Indian War was part of a larger conflict
called the Seven Years' War, which involved many countries.

I feel proud when I learn about history because it helps me understand how
our world was shaped. If I have questions, I can ask my teacher or my friends
for help. It’s nice to learn together, and it helps me feel connected to what we
are studying.

Vocabulary

●French and Indian War: A conflict fought between 1754 and 1763 in North America,
primarily between the British and the French, along with their Native American allies,
over control of territory.

●Colonies: Areas or regions that are controlled by another country. In this context,
the British colonies were settlements along the Atlantic coast of North America.

●Control: The power to influence or direct the behavior of something or someone. In
this case, it refers to who had authority over the land in North America.

●Expansion: The process of spreading out or increasing in size or area. Here, it
refers to the British colonies growing and moving into new lands.

Vocabulary

●Boundary: A line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line. The British and
French needed to establish clear boundaries between their territories.

●Alliance: A formal agreement or partnership between two or more parties to work
together for a common goal. Both the British and French sought alliances with
Native American tribes.

●Fort: A fortified building or military stronghold. Fort Duquesne was an important fort
built by the French to protect their land.

●Surrender: To give up or admit defeat in a conflict or battle. George Washington's
forces had to surrender at Fort Necessity.

Vocabulary

Unite: To come together for a common purpose. The 13 colonies attempted to unite in
response to the war.

Leadership: The action of leading a group or organization. William Pitt was a leader who
helped the British win the war.

Territory: An area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state. The conflict was largely
about who would control certain territories in North America.

Seven Years' War: A global conflict that lasted from 1756 to 1763, involving many countries,
including Britain and France, which included the French and Indian War as part of it.

The French and Indian War: Join or Die

The French and Indian War was a conflict between Great Britain and
France in North America. It started in 1754 and lasted until 1763. The
war was fought over control of land in North America. Native American
tribes joined both sides in the fighting. This war was part of a larger
conflict called the Seven Years' War.

Dive into Chapter Two: Join or Die

Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" political cartoon from the Pennsylvania
Gazette marked the beginning of significant conflicts between European
powers in North America. Great Britain's colonies, as we know, were along
the Atlantic coast, while France sent explorers and colonists to Canada,
gradually moving south and claiming land along the Mississippi River. Initially,
this didn’t create a problem since the Mississippi River and the Atlantic
Ocean are far from each other.

However, as the British colonies expanded further inland, it became obvious that a
clear boundary would eventually need to be drawn. Meanwhile, both the British and
the French sought to gain favor with the Native American tribes who lived between
them. They did this by encouraging the Native American tribes to fight against the
other side, which created rivalry and hatred. In the early 1750s, France built a series of
forts in the Ohio River Valley to better assert its claim to the land. The most important
of these forts was where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the
Ohio River. It was called Fort Duquesne. The colonial governments of Virginia and
Pennsylvania were particularly worried about Fort Duquesne. They feared that if the
French established a trading post at Fort Duquesne, it would restrict the growth of their
colonies.

They were also concerned that the French would encourage the Native Americans to
attack the Virginia and Pennsylvania colonies. In May of 1754, the government of
Virginia sent a group of 40 British colonial militiamen to Fort Duquesne. These men
were led by a 21-year-old in the Virginia militia named George Washington.
Washington's men won a small battle, but they had to surrender a couple of months
later at a place called Fort Necessity. Though the event seemed small at the time, it
started the French and Indian War. The war between the French and the British lasted
nearly a decade and was mainly fought in present-day western Pennsylvania, New
York, and Canada.

Although not every Native American tribe fought for the French against the American
colonies in this war, many did, which is why the conflict is now referred to by that
name. Prior to this, the 13 American colonies had never acted as one. However, when
the French and Indian War began, there were attempts by some to unify the colonies.
In May of 1754, seven of the 13 colonies sent delegates to meet in Albany, New York.
The delegates came up with a plan for the colonies to organize themselves, raise
taxes, and create an army that would protect them in war. However, the plan would not
have declared independence from Great Britain or taken away any of King George III’s
authority. The main proponent of this plan was a delegate and newspaper editor from
Pennsylvania named Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin’s newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, printed a drawing in favor of this
plan, known as the Albany Plan of Union. The drawing, shown on page seven,
depicted a snake cut into eight parts, with each part labeled with the initials of one of
the American colonies. New England was represented as one segment of the snake,
and Georgia, a colony that had just been formed, was omitted. This drawing was one
of the first times a newspaper called for unity among the colonies. The British
government put a stop to the Albany Plan of Union, but it would not be the last time
that the colonists talked about joining together.

Now back to the war. The French and Indian War was only part of a worldwide conflict
known as the Seven Years’ War. The Seven Years’ War involved not only Britain and
France but also Prussia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and other countries. Both sides won
battles in the French and Indian War, but under the leadership of a new Prime Minister
named William Pitt, the British side prevailed. One of the reasons the British won is
that they had 2 million colonists in North America, while the French had only about
60,000 colonists. A key moment in the war was when the British army captured the
Canadian city of Quebec. As a result of the war, France gave up its claim to both the
Mississippi River Valley and Canada. In other words, France lost its North American
colonies to Great Britain..

The conflict is called the "French and Indian War" because it involved a war between
the British and their American colonies against the French and their Native American
allies. The name reflects the fact that the British were fighting both the French forces
and various Native American tribes who were allied with the French. The war was part
of a larger global conflict known as the Seven Years' War, but in North America, it
specifically focused on the struggle for control of territory between the British and
French, with Native American tribes playing a significant role in the fighting.

Fill in the Blank: Fill in the blank with the correct words.

1.

The French and Indian War was fought between __ and __.

2.

Benjamin Franklin's famous cartoon showed a snake cut into __
parts.

3.

The war started when George Washington led a group of __ to Fort
Duquesne.

4.

The French built forts along the __ River Valley.

5.

As a result of the war, France gave up its claim to __ and __.

Word bank: eight, Ohio, British militiamen, Great Britain, Canada, France,
Mississippi River Valley

Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the correct answer from the choices
for each question.

1.

Who created the "Join or Die" political cartoon?
a) George Washington
b) Benjamin Franklin
c) King George III
d) William Pitt

2.

What was the name of the fort where the war started?
a) Fort Necessity
b) Fort Duquesne
c) Fort Albany
d) Fort Quebec

Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the correct answer from the choices for each
question.

1.

How many American colonies were there at the time of the war?
a) 8
b) 10
c) 13
d) 15

2.

What was the larger global conflict that the French and Indian War was part
of?
a) The Revolutionary War
b) The Civil War
c) The Seven Years' War
d) The War of 1812

Open Ended Questions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

Why did Benjamin Franklin create the "Join or Die" cartoon? What was its
message?

How did the French and Indian War change the map of North America?

Why do you think it was important for the American colonies to work together
during this time?

Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the correct answer from the choices
for each question.

Why is the war called the "French and Indian War"?
a) Because it was fought in France and India
b) Because the French fought against the Indians
c) Because the British fought against the French and their Native
American allies
d) Because it started in French India