Misconceptions and Preconceptions

The French and Indian War had been quite a befuddling notion to me before I took this class. Heck, any history class I've been in has always led to confusion as to what really happened. The professors (most of the time) seemed to start up on a rant about what they thought it was about, and their view on it, mumbling on and on about something that turned out to be nothing about the original concept. This may explain why my strong suit has not been in my History classes.

Interestingly enough though, I find it relieving and enlightening to find out interesting facts about this war, especially through the simplest of things such as its name. Despite my childhood favorite PBS show, Liberty Kids, I still had failed to understand who was on who's side. I had figured that the French and the Indians were against each other, and somehow the British and the pioneers and settlers were coming in for the fight as well. I have found out through lecture though, that my conjecture was not even the slightest bit right. According to our history lecture, it was the British's point of view on the war, and chose to exclude their name in the title. They also excluded the people of which originated from Britain; the settlers. Still, the name sounds vague, and is often confused (but considering the British, they may have wanted it that way.) Instead I found out recently that it were the French and the 'Indians' that worked together to fight the British for more of the unclaimed, or previously claimed land. An interesting way to word the title of a great war, though, as if excluding yourself from the title would show less blame on your part.

That's just one misconception that I've had fixed and figured in my mind. With all luck, there will be more misconceptions and preconceptions reversed and set right in the lectures soon to come.