The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650 - 1815

The geopolitical stakes in the Ohio Valley became increasingly high for the British and the French by the early 1750s. Both colonial powers believed that the outcome of the struggle on a village level would determine the fate of the imperial struggle on the continent. They sought to control the valley through proxies, which turned the successes of the rebel republics into a critical factor in the conflict. However, the agreements between them and the British lacked coherence and strategy. Instead, they resulted from the use of opportunism to broaden the rebels’ own political and economic interests. By 1750, British leaders such as William Johnson believed the Algonquians in the Ohio were the key to the conflict. The republics’ powers were only increasing while the Iroquois declined—however, both shared concern over the actions of the two rival empires. The uncertainty of shifting alliances contributed to the conflict.

The French decision to take military action in the region proved a strategic mistake, as they overestimated British strength and underestimated the Algonquians. The French doubted Algonquian reliability because of the failure to raise support among the latter. A raid by a marginal tribe near La Demoiselle's village triggered further defections from the alliance, further demonstrating their unreliability to the French.