THE 17TH CENTURY WORLD WAR, FRANCE VERSUS GREAT BRITAIN INVOLVING INDIA, NORTH AMERICA, THE WEST INDIES, THE MEDITERRANEAN AND EUROPE ITSELF.
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 14)
England, Dutch Republic and Austrian Hapsburgs unite against France to prevent a grandson of Louis XIV from becoming King of Spain. John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, won the Battle of Blenheim in 1704; John Campbell, "Red John of the Battles" also distinguished himself in this war.1701: Exiled James II of England dies; Louis XIV of France recognises the latter's son, James Edward as the legitmate king of Great Britain. This James is known as "The Old Pretender"; The Earl of Argyll becomes the "Duke of Argyll" and exchanges the Isle of Colonsay for McNeill lands on Loch Caolisport.
- 1702: Queen Anne succeeds William III as Queen of England
- 1704: Massacre of Deerfield, Conn., by French and Indians; England takes Gibralter.
- 1707: Union between England and Scotland.
- 1708: James, the "Old Pretender" arrives in Scotland on French ship; leaves after 4 days, back to France.
- 1713: Treaty of Utrecht: Britain wins Gibralter and Minorca; end of first phase of Anglo French struggle.
- 1714: Anne dies; succeeded by Hanoverian George I; the next year, Louis XIV dies, succeeded by Louis XV.
- 1715: First Jacobite Rebellion under the Earl of Mar; Jacobites defeated at Preston and Sheriffmuir by forces led by "Red John of the Battles", the 2d Duke of Argyll; the "Old Pretender" arrives at Peterhead from France, and then returns to France.
- 1717: Old Pretender forced to leave France.
- 1719: Rising of 1719, Jacobites ally with Spain, hold Eilean Donan Castle, and with Battle of Glen Shiel, they surrender to Government forces.
- 1729: N and S Carolina become British Crown Colonies
- 1731: French fortifies Crown Point on Lake Champlain.
- 1733: Oblethorpe founds Savannah, Ga. as a British colony
- 1736: Porteous Riots in Edinburgh: painting of the lynching is at Edinburgh's National Gallery of Art; and it plays a key part in Walter Scott's "Heart of Midlothian".
- The McNeills and the North Carolina Settlement of 1739
- 1743: French defeated by British at Dettingen(both the 4th and 5th Dukes of Argyll served in this battle.
- 1744: France declares war on England and on Maria Theresa of Austria
- 1745: French take Aust Netherlands; British take Louisbourg in Canada; Charles, the Young Pretender, lands in Scotland, advances south toward Derby, retreats
- 1746: Charles wins at Falkirk, but is defeated at Culloden. John Campbell, later the 5th Duke of Argyll, serves at both Battles on the British side.
- 1749: Halifax, Nova Scotia, is established as a fortress. Issue becomes: boundary between Nova Scotia and French Canada.
- French troops from Canada seize the Ohio Valley. This leads to the French and Indian (or 7 Years) War.
- 1756 - 1763: The 7 Years War; this ends with Britain taking over Quebec, Florida and Grenada.
- 1756: Brit Soldiers die in India's "Black Hole of Calcutta; next year, Clive re-takes Calcutta
- 1758: British take Louisbourg (in Canada's Nova Scotia); George Washington takes Ft Duquesne (Pittsburgh) for Britain from French and Indian forces.
- 1759: Battle of the Plains of Abraham; Fraser Highlanders among British Troops; British gain Quebec from France.
- 1762: British capture Martinique, Grenada, Havana, in the West Indiies.
- 1769: both Duke of Wellington and Napolean are born this year.
- 1774: Quebec Act establishes Roman Catholicism in Canada; Coercive acts against Massachusetts
- 1775 to 1783: American Revolution
- 1776 - 1778: Archibald Campbell of Inverneill commands 2d battalion of 71st Highlanders; he is taken prisoner by Americans.
- Archibald Campbell of Inverneill takes Savannah, Georgia for Britain.
- 1780: French troops arrive at Newport, R.I..
- 1782: Archibald Campbell of Inverneill becomes Governor of Jamaica.
- 1783: Britain recognizes independence of the United States.
- 1784: Archibald Campbell of Inverneill becomes Governor of Madras, India.
- British Parliament considers a motion to abolish the slave trade. It fails, because of pressure from British landowners in the West Indies, and at horror at the anarchy let loose by the French Revolution.
- 1789: French Revolution officially begins.
- 1791: Archibald Campbell of Inverneill dies, buried in Westminster Abbey.
- 1792: French Revolution degenerates into the "Terror"; the next year the King and Queen of France are beheaded. Napolean takes Toulon.
- 1795: Bread Riots and White Terror in Paris; Napolean appointed Commander in chief of Italy.
- 1797: Napolean appointed to command forces to invade England.
- 1798: French expedition to Egypt, Alexandria occupied; Nelson destroys the French Fleet in Abukir Bay; French force lands in Ireland but fails to invade the country.
- 1799: Napolean abandons French army in Egypt, returns to France, becomes Consul of Republic of France.
- 1802: Peace of Amiens between Britain and France.
- 1803: War between France and Britain resumes.
- 1804: Napoleon is proclaimed Emperor
- The following years, until the Battle of Waterloo, in 1815, were dominated by wars with Napolean.
If you go to this Map you will see exactly how powerful Napolean became. There are too many battles and too many events during this period to list here. I leave with one thought: this time was the climax of a century of warfare between France and Britain. I think it is important to see events like Culloden in this context, as a part of that conflict.
