Worksheet # 31          Home Questions Puzzle Links Next

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

And England’s feisty thirteen grew restless and bold,

And they longed for the vistas under foreign control.

And with Spain at their south and New France to the west,

A fearsome battle took place --- or hadn’t you guessed?

When one Major Washington to the Ohio Valley

Brought a message for France to pick up and “allez!”

-- But the French meanwhile had their orders as well

And in the skirmish with George the other shoe fell.

And though the first scuffle was French victory,

Young George’s stock rose at his Fort Necessity.

He showed mettle and moxie in such large amount

All could tell he was someone on whom folks could count.

And while most off the tribes helped France in the fight,

The colonists did add British troops to their might.

Though at first the French routed those red-coated Brits,

For whom fighting in forests was giving them fits!

Indeed, if out in green pastures or dark colored woods,

Would you dress for success in your bright scarlet duds?

-- And soldiers back then would calmly march in a line,

It made sure no one ran, but was a true “Shoot Me” sign!

Ah, but the seas were all England’s, and in 1754,

Her colonists had numbers --- near 15 times more!

And after two long years with French forces on top,

Lord Pitt took command and declared: “It must stop!”

British troops then advanced, taking fort after fort,

And watched as France lost most of her native support.

And when General James Wolfe did hatch a bold plan,

The Brits took Quebec, and brought an end close to hand.

And The French and Indian War, as it came to be known,

Lasted nearly ten years before Old England had won.

While the colonies themselves learned the need to unite,

When the natives and Frenchmen did give them a fight…