Why did the American colonists want to expand control into the Ohio Valley in the mid-1700s
to gain access to the region's natural resources
to demonstrate Britain's strength to France and Spain
to force the French out of North America
to put French settlers there under English rule
The American colonists wanted to expand control into the Ohio Valley in the mid-1700s primarily to gain access to the region's natural resources. The Ohio Valley was rich in fertile land and presented opportunities for agriculture, hunting, and trade, especially in fur. The expansion into this area was also motivated by the economic potential that the land represented for both individuals and the colonies.
This push for expansion inevitably brought the British colonists into conflict with French interests in the region. The French had established a series of forts and trading posts in the Ohio Valley to protect their own claim to the territory and its trade networks. The competition between the British and the French for control of this territory was one of the contributing factors to the outbreak of the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years' War in its global context), which began in 1754.
While the desire to demonstrate Britain's strength to France and Spain, to force the French out of North America, and to put French settlers there under English rule were all related to the broader context of imperial competition and were outcomes of British success in the war, the primary motivation for the American colonists themselves was the economic opportunity presented by the Ohio Valley's natural resources.