The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

1972 THE'MERCANTILE IMPASSE 51land to Georgia, with claims run-,ning back to the Appalachianmountain chain generally. Most ofthe territory which is now Canadawas then claimed by France, alongwith the vast hinterland regiondrained by the Mississippi River.South and west of these were theextensive Spanish possessions. TheEnglish hold on the continent wasstill precarious, and the colonieswere surrounded except on theside of the Atlantic Ocean. by territoryclaimed by other Europeanpowers. This situation would bedramatically altered by 1763 as aresult of the wars.A Struggle for ControlThe War of the Spanish Succession(1702-13, known in Englandas Queen Anne's War) was foughtover issues which were tied to thequestion of who would dominatethe Americas. Louis XIV was determinedthat his grandson shouldbecome king of Spain immediatelyand should eventually succeed himto the throne of France. Thiswould not only bring under oneperson two great powers in Europebut would also link two massiveempires in America. This wasan intolerable prospect for England.As one history puts the matter:"For Holland and England, itwas a war over colonies and trade.These two countries were determinedto prevent a union of theFrench and Spanish crowns; butthey were above all determined toprevent France from getting intoa position to block their own commercialand territorial ambitionsin America."14 At the conclusionof the war, provisions were madefor perpetual separation of theFrench and Spanish crowns, andBritain gained new territory inAmerica: Newfoundland, Acadia,and the Hudson Bay territory.England got involved in warwith Spain in 1739, known as theWar of Jenkin's Ear, and a part ofthe struggle was over possession ofGeorgia. There was some fightingin America, but it was very limited,for the conflict shifted toEurope and the more general convulsionknown as the War of theAustrian Succession (1740-48) .This war did not result in any territorialchanges, though therewere changes in alliances on thecontinent of Europe which affectedfuture events.The peace that followed thissecond of world wars in the eighteenthcentury was unusually brief.The French and Indian War brokeout in America, 1754; it involvedmost· basically a contest over territoryin what is now western Pennsylvaniabetween the French andIndians on the one hand and theBritish and English Am'ericans onthe other. As an extension of this14 Ibid., p. 265.