A series of military engagements between Britain and France in North America between 1754 and 1763. The French and Indian War was the American phase of the Seven Years' War, which was then underway in Europe. In a battle between British and French forces near Quebec City in Canada, the British gained control of all of Canada.
Note: At the start of the war, several thousand French-speaking residents of Acadia (Nova Scotia and adjacent areas) who refused to swear allegiance to Britain were exiled. Many eventually made their way to southern Louisiana, where they developed the distinctive language and culture known as Cajun.