Note of French peace terms. Anglo-French boundary disputes in the West, 1749-1763, edited with introduction and notes by Theodore Calvin Pease, 1936. LC General Collections.

In the early stages of peace negotiations, France remained hopeful that it might retain part of its North American empire. In a letter dated June 17, 1761, the Minister of War, duc de Choiseul, offered to cede Canada to Britain, with the exception of Cape Breton Island, as well as relinquish the Mediterranean island of Minorca, which it then occupied. In compensation, the islands of Martinique and Marie Galante, as well as France’s outpost at Gorée, on the West African Coast, would be returned to France. The minister remained silent, however, on the question of Louisiana, the boundaries of which had long been in dispute. At this point in the negotiations, France hoped not only to retain Louisiana, but asserted that this territory included the Ohio Country. The British negotiators were quick to point out that the French themselves (as evidenced by their own maps and official documents) had long considered the Ohio Country to be part of Canada.

French Memoir of May 29, 1762. Anglo-French boundary disputes in the West, 1749-1763, edited with introduction and notes by Theodore Calvin Pease, 1936. LC General Collections.

By spring 1762 the duc de Choiseul had little choice but to yield to British demands for the complete cession of Canada. In his May 29, 1762, memoir, Choiseul also conceded the “loss of the best part of Louisiana.” At the same time, however, he highlighted France’s desire to retain its Caribbean possessions, stating: “Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Martinique, St. Lucia are all indispensable for the support of French commerce.” Remarkably, without consulting Spain beforehand, Choiseul also proposed the cession of Florida to Britain. With the British occupation of Havana in summer 1762, the question of Spanish compensation for the loss of Florida--and perhaps of Cuba—further complicated the negotiations.

Carte de l’Océan Occidentale et partie de l’Amérique Septentrionale..., [taken from] Illustrations de Histoire et description générale de la Nouvelle France [Vol. 1]. Paris, 1744. BnF Maps and Plans Department.

Unlike colonists, whose concerns often remained local, colonial authorities in both France and Britain were more likely to view their American empires from a global perspective, such as that offered in this 1744 map of the North Atlantic world. On the surface, France’s American empire in the early decades of the 18th century appeared to parallel its British counterpart significantly. France and Britain both maintained important trans-Atlantic commercial relations with Africa, the Caribbean, and North America, in addition to colonies and outposts. But, while France's and Britain’s Caribbean colonies grew increasingly similar (especially in their social and economic structures), France’s position in North America was far more precarious than that of Britain. Canada’s population was a fraction of that found in the British North American colonies and France was less able than Britain to maintain a reliable system of communications with its North American colonies.

Note of French peace terms. Anglo-French boundary disputes in the West, 1749-1763, edited with introduction and notes by Theodore Calvin Pease, 1936. LC General Collections.

Durant les premières négociations de paix, la France a encore l’espoir de garder une partie de son empire nord-américain. Dans une lettre datée du 17 juin 1761, le duc de Choiseul offre de céder le Canada à l’Angleterre, à l’exception de l’Île Royale, et de renoncer à l’île de Minorque en Méditerranée. En compensation, les îles de la Martinique et de Marie-Galante ainsi que l’avant-poste de Gorée sur la côte occidentale de l’Afrique seraient restitués à la France. Le ministre reste néanmoins silencieux sur la question de la Louisiane, dont les frontières étaient depuis longtemps contestées. À ce stade des négociations, la France espère encore non seulement préserver la Louisiane, mais aussi y inclure la vallée de l’Ohio. Les négociateurs britanniques se rendent pourtant très vite compte que les Français eux-mêmes, d’après leurs propres cartes et documents officiels, rattachent l’Ohio non à la Louisiane, mais au Canada.

French Memoir of May 29, 1762. Anglo-French boundary disputes in the West, 1749-1763, edited with introduction and notes by Theodore Calvin Pease, 1936. LC General Collections.

Au printemps 1762, le duc de Choiseul doit céder aux injonctions des Britanniques qui exigent un abandon complet du Canada. Le 29 mai 1762, il accepte aussi de concéder « la perte de la meilleure partie de la Louisiane ». Au même moment, Choiseul souligne le désir de la France de préserver ses colonies antillaises : « La Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Sainte Lucie sont toutes indispensables pour le soutien du commerce français ». Il est remarquable que Choiseul, sans avoir au préalable consulté l’Espagne, propose la cession de la Floride à l’Angleterre pour compenser la restitution de La Havane occupée par les Britanniques pendant l’été 1760.

Carte de l’Océan Occidentale et partie de l’Amérique Septentrionale..., [taken from] Illustrations de Histoire et description générale de la Nouvelle France [Vol. 1]. Paris, 1744.

Contrairement à beaucoup de colons, les autorités métropolitaines en France et en Angleterre ont une vision plus globale de leur empire américain respectif. Dans les premières décennies du XVIIIe siècle les forces sont en apparence équilibrées. Mais tandis que dans les Caraïbes les colonies britanniques et françaises croissent parallèlement, la situation est plus inégale en Amérique du Nord. La population du Canada est vingt fois moindre à celle des Treize Colonies britanniques.