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Description and Holding Information
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Scheme to drive the French out of all the Continent of America, 1754-09-09 (MS)
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This is a 27 page document that becomes repetitive at times. The plan was signed by Thomas Cole on 5 or 9 September, 1754. Header: Scheme to drive
the French out of all the continent of America, humbly offered to the consideration of __. Cole first defined the French area of settlement in North
America, especially along the major rivers, and listed the economic resources available to them. Since 1609, the French had taken control of the
Indians and harassed settlements from Nova Scotia to Georgia. The writer believed the French were about to launch a major offensive, so he laid out his
scheme to thwart their attempt. He detailed the number of troops and officers needed, focusing on British troops. He called for an Act of Parliament
to get them armed and equipped. The colonies could contribute troops also, but he noted an unfortunate independence of action that would hinder the
effort. He described boats and their armament and crew to be built in America. He gave instructions for the plan of attack, beginning in Lake
Champlain, progressing to the St. Lawrence, subduing Montreal and Quebec, then going west along that river. He made a three page cost estimate for standing
up the force and its equipment, which he admitted was a lot of money, but not nearly what was spent every year in Europe. He estimated it would take
eight months to defeat the French. He pointed out the huge trade advantage that would be lost by losing control of North America. He said the British
had not treated the Indians, especially the Five Nations, very well, which was a big mistake. The Crown had told the colonies to defend themselves
with an underequipped, hardly trained militia, and that had not gone well. If the Crown did not start right away, it stood to lose products and
resources of huge value. Then Cole waxed eloquent about the opportunities available if the French were driven away--wonderful trade opportunities, for one,
and the now seasoned troops could march through Georgia, drive the Spaniards out of Florida, go over to Cuba and Puerto Rico and soon the whole
hemisphere would be British! In closing, he made suggestions about what groups might contribute to the expense of the war. (Digitized from a microfilm
copy held at the Pennsylvania State Historical Society)
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Title:
A scheme to drive the French out of all the continent of America : humbly offered to the consideration of ...
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OCLC Number:
1438764151
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Available Volumes
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| Name | Fiche Count | Online | Paper Backup |
| Vol. 1 | | Yes | No |
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