Why did the Americans colonist want to expand control into the Ohio valley in the mid 1700s?
The American colonists wanted to expand control into the Ohio Valley in the mid-1700s for several reasons:
1. Land and Resources: The Ohio Valley was a fertile region with abundant natural resources, including timber, fur-bearing animals, and rich farmland. The colonists saw it as an opportunity to acquire new land for settlement and economic development.
2. Trade and Commerce: The Ohio Valley served as a vital link between the British colonies on the Atlantic Coast and the western frontier. Control over this region would allow the colonists to establish and control trade routes, especially the crucial Mississippi River and its tributaries, enhancing their economic prospects.
3. Strategic Importance: The Ohio Valley was also strategically significant, as it was situated between British and French territories to the north. The colonists sought to expand their control into this region to prevent the French from encroaching upon British colonial territory and to secure their western borders against potential threats.
4. Geopolitical Rivalry: The expansion of British and French colonies into the Ohio Valley intensified geopolitical tensions between the two European powers. The American colonists, being part of the British Empire, wanted to assert British dominance and reduce French influence in North America, prompting them to push westward.
5. Settler Migration: People from the overcrowded eastern settlements sought new opportunities and fertile lands in the Ohio Valley. The promise of cheap and abundant land motivated settlers to venture into this region in search of a better life, thereby fueling the desire for expansion.
Overall, the Americans colonists' aspiration to expand into the Ohio Valley was driven by economic, strategic, political, and demographic factors, as they sought to secure valuable resources, control trade routes, assert British dominance, and provide opportunities for settlement.