Final answer:
The French and Indian War was caused by the westward expansion of British colonists into the Ohio River Valley, leading to conflicts and tensions with the French. This war had significant consequences for both British colonial policies and relations with Native American tribes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The French and Indian War was caused by the westward expansion of the British colonists into the Ohio River Valley, which was also claimed by the French. As the British tried to strengthen their hold on the region and the French built forts to defend their claim, tensions escalated. This eventually led to conflicts and skirmishes between the British and the French, resulting in the French and Indian War.
For example, Virginians crossed the Allegheny Mountains into the Ohio River Valley, sparking French retaliation with the building of forts in western Pennsylvania. The war not only changed the balance of power in North America by eliminating the French presence, but it also had significant consequences for British colonial policies and relations with Native American tribes.
The war's outcome, the removal of the French, triggered violent responses from the Indians of the Ohio Valley region, known as Pontiac's War. The British government's handling of these problems ultimately led to conflicts with the colonies.