 Excellent short presentation of a crucial period in history
"The War That Made America: A Short History Of The French And Indian War" by Fred Anderson is an excellent short presentation of a very important subject that is foundational to an understanding of American History. Having read several other books on the subject, ("The French & Indian War: Deciding The Fate of North America" by Walter R. Borneman; & "The American Indian Wars" by John Tebbel and Keith Jennison) I was pleased with the amount and quality of information presented by Anderson which I had not seen in other works. "The War That Made America", an interesting, understandable, and easily readable presentation, clarifies how some events and players related to others, shows how future events were affected by events of this period, and offers a level of historical analysis that is more than competent. Adding to the books interest are maps and pictures of artwork, artifacts, and individuals. I found Anderson's work to be well worth the investment of time and money, and highly recommend it.
 Highly detailed overview (3.7 *s)
This book is a substantially condensed version of the author's earlier "Crucible of War," yet manages to cover all sorts of matters pertinent to the French and Indian War actually beginning in 1753 to its conclusion in 1763: the situation in the West and developments that led to the War; the important and changing role of various Indian groups throughout the lengthy engagement; the wide-ranging battles and campaigns waged all across the northern tier of the colonies including Fort Duquesne on the Ohio River, the Lake Ontario forts, numerous forts up and down Lake Champlain, and extending to Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island; the increased and focused British War efforts after initial stumbles; innumerable French and British leaders - some inept, others quite capable; and some commentary on what it all meant, such as the future of the Indian tribes and the prospects and mindsets of the American colonists as they shared in the victory of the British empire.
There is a sense that the book is a bit too tightly packed with explanations sacrificed for the need to include details. However, the untold difficulties, the mistakes, the shortages of supplies, the harsh conditions, the extreme loss of life combined with cruel savagery, the lack of communication, the role of fortune, and the like in waging a war over a vast territory in the mid-eighteenth century that permeate this work are scarcely possible to comprehend 250 years later. Such a book is a challenge to read; it's rather easy to lose track in the complicated narratives of the numerous, simultaneous campaigns. Scattered maps help some. Many of the illustrations in the book of various documents are fairly useless - much too small to be read.
Is it the war that made America? That question is secondary to the author's purposes. Perhaps one can point to the confluence of several destabilizing developments surrounding the War that when combined led to the formation of America: the territorial ambitions of the French that alarmed the British; the interest of both speculators and settlers in PA and VA in Indian-occupied lands; the sense that the colonists had of sacrifice and initiative equal to that of the British in the conduct of the War; the enormous debt incurred by the British in waging the War; and the subsequent high-handed policies of British ministers in attempting to recoup those costs from the colonists. The book is certainly informative, but one suspects that for those with the time, the longer version would far more substantially cover the period and the War.
Excellent foundation for understanding the French & Indian War
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a solid understanding of the F&I War. Anderson's book gives just the right amount of detail - not so much as to overwhelm you, but not so little where you're left without a good understanding of this crucial event in history. The book is also well-written so that it keeps your interest. Details about war strategies and battle plans bore me a great deal, but Anderson's book gives just the basics on these topics. Where he does go into more detail are in areas I think are more important to understanding the causes and consequences of the war - the interactions and power between the various Indian tribes, the personality and philosophical conflicts between those in charge in England, and the Candian military, the motivations of various powerful groups, etc. I also liked that Anderson focused on the crucial role of the various Indian tribes - without them as allies, the British never could have won the continent. For the reader who would like to get a solid foundation of understanding of the F&I War, I highly recommend Anderson's book.
A Riveting Account on Par with the Best in its Field
Fred Anderson's chronicle of the French and Indian War is appropriately titled The War That Made America. In this monograph, the Seven Years War in North America is presented in a well written narrative that is as enthralling as it is informative. Following years of research, Anderson utilizes his understanding of the time period to weave an accurate and entertaining account of the battles that changed the face of North America forever.
Anderson begins his narrative by expanding on the role of General George Washington in the years leading up to the conflict and sets the stage for The War That Made America. The first portion of the work is dubbed "The End of a Long Peace." In this section the author describes how the war came to fruition following the attack of Jumonville's French Convoy under Washington's command. The next subdivision of chapters entitled "La Guerre Savage" discusses key events such as Braddock's death at the Battle of the Monongahela and explains the war's explosion in the European theatre. It is also in this section that signals the beginning of what Anderson describes as "the greatest refugee crisis in the history of the colonies."(73)
The next section called "Turning Point" highlights the role of Secretary of State William Pitt in the conflict. "Pitt's system boiled down to making the most of his nation's shaky position by building on its strengths wherever they existed, striking France at its weakest points wherever possible, and holding the line in Europe by subsidizing Frederick and Great and Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick." (123) One of the more consequential narratives in this category is the campaign of General John Forbes and his trail blazing march across the Pennsylvania wilderness.
The final portion of The War That Made America is known as "Conquests and Consequences." This section begins immediately following the fall of Fort Duquesne. Using consequence as a backdrop Anderson discusses the various natives groups and gauges their reaction to the event. "The Iroquois chiefs' unease arose from a prophetic spiritual movement that had begun taking shape among the displace Delawares of the Susquehanna Valley a decade or so before, a movement that the war's stresses and disorder had helped to spread into the Ohio Country, where the other groups beyond the Delaware began to respond to it." (180) Anderson closes the work by examining the consequences of the war's outcome, particularly the removal of French influence in the region.
Fred Anderson is currently a professor of History at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Along with The War That Made America, Anderson has also written such works as Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766, The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America, 1500-2000, George Washington Remembers: Reflections on the French and Indian War, and A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers and Society in the Seven Years' War, the winner of the 1982 Jamestown Prize. Anderson has also been awarded the Francis Parkman and Mark Lynton prizes in 2001.
Anderson consulted several primary and secondary sources when writing The War That Made America. Although he has studied the Seven Years War as his primary academic interest, Anderson cited recent secondary sources such as Struggle for a Continent: The French and Indian Wars 1689-1763, and Clash of Empires: The British, French, and Indian War which was published by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania in 2005. Along with other secondary sources were several journal citations including Journal of American History and the Canadian Historical Review.
This work was one of profound interest as it was so well written that it made exploring the monograph a thrilling experience. Anderson projects a comfort level with the material that allows him to explain the events while binding them into a larger picture that is both accessible and retainable. As a companion work to the hit PBS television series of the same name, The War That Made America should be considered to be of great value to both the qualified academic and the interested American history hobbyist.
Some of the most staggering insights that Anderson conveys are the diplomatic interactions of the Native Tribes with the European Superpowers. Anderson correctly conveys the Tribal leaders as key players throughout the war and major factors in its outcome.
In his chronicle of the Seven Years War in North America, Fred Anderson paints a full picture of the conflict and presents all parties in a fair and accurate manner. Anderson uses a lifetime of research to produce a masterful synthesis that brings to life a worldwide conflict centered in the backwoods of North America. The War That Made America is a historic epic on par with the best of the field.
solid intro, but it feels lightened
It is always a conundrum to pick between a scholarly version and an abridged one: the former can get you lost in academic-debates detail, the latter can feel dumbed down. I bought this not knowing it was an abridgement. The book moves briskly, spends a lot of time in descriptions of battles, and flits over the many very very interesting personalities involved. I think the reader gets a bit beyond the gist, so the book is a success.
The war essentially disturbed a balance that held British America to the Eastern Seaboard. The French had allied with the Indians - giving them indispensable goods including munitions and alcohol - to hold the British from usurping their lands. In this arrangement, the Indians were allowed political autonomy, which particularly the Iroquois nation used to develop a sophisticated diplomacy to preserve their culture and freedom. In the meantime, Europe was a delicate system of military alliances. Amidst these brewing tensions, the war finally was sparked when George Washington's Indian allies (in his presence) murdered a French representative with diplomatic immunity, furnishing a excuse to start a war - it was the start of the Seven Years War!
Once the British won, which the did by breaking the French-Indian alliance (certain French generals failed to undrestand how to use the Indians as allies, which included allowing them to massacre enemies) and by overwhelming military force, the political balance within British America had been broken. While the settlers felts empowered to pursue their political power and economic agendas (Washington had land in the Ohio Valley he wanted to develop), the British justifiably felt that they should pay for a very very costly war, particularly in Europe. Moreover, the savagery of the war had convinced many Bristish settlers that the Indians were inhuman and deserved annihilation, which they acheived rather efficiently over the next 140 years.
I would have liked more details on the personal stories. There were brilliant generals, brilliant Indian chiefs who operated from a non-European mentality that was evolving in very interesting ways, and political entities in formation in the colonies. Nonetheless, this is a fascinating and informative read.
Recommended with enthusiasm.
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