The Miami prior to the French and Indian War

To better understand the position of the Miami during the period immediately preceding the French and Indian War, and their shifts in allegiance from the French interest to the British and then back to the French interest, it is necessary to understand the foreign policies of both England and France during this relatively short period. Officially Great Britain did not exploit the area west of the mountains; but individual colonies did. Both Virginia and Pennsylvania licensed many traders for the Great Lakes region. In addition to these, there were many unlicensed traders. There were approximately sixty individuals trading in the upper Ohio Valley during the decade preceding the Seven Years' War. 1 Neither licensed nor unlicensed British traders were under the binding restraints which were placed on all French traders -fixed prices, quality and quantity of goods, locale of trading. But most important of all, English traders were not forced to sell their furs to a monopoly which fixed the prices. French traders, on the other hand, not only had these restrictions, but also had to provide all the finances for the western venture except the actual pay of the officers and men stationed at the various settlements and trading posts. 2 It is small wonder then that the western Indians, including the

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