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The first of the French and Indian Wars, 'King William's War' (1689–1697) was name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the War of the Grand Alliance (1688–1697). Note that the North American theatre does not have a separate name in British, French, or Canadian historiography, and is simply thought of as being part of the War of the Grand Alliance. It was fought between England, France, and their respective American Indian allies in the colonies of Canada, Acadia, and New England.
King William's War began soon after William III of England joined the League of Augsburg against France. The war began with attacks by France and its Indian allies on English frontier settlements, most notably the Schenectady Massacre of 1690. The English captured Port Royal, the capital of Acadia, and then launched an expedition to seize the capital of New France, but were defeated in the Battle of Quebec. The French attacked the British-held coast, recapturing Port Royal.
The Quebec expedition was the last major offensive of King William’s War; for the remainder of the war the English colonists were reduced to defensive operations and skirmishes. However, the Iroquois Five Nations suffered from the weakness of their English allies.^[1] In 1693 and 1696, the French and their Indian allies ravaged Iroquois towns and destroyed crops while New York colonists remained passive. After the English and French made peace in 1697, the Iroquois, now abandoned by the English colonists, remained at war with New France until 1701.^[2]
The Treaty of Ryswick in 1697 ended the war between the two colonial powers, reverting the colonial borders to the ''status quo ante bellum''. The peace did not last long, and within five years the colonies were embroiled in the next of the French and Indian Wars, Queen Anne's War. The Iroquois, however, did not participate in any further military action, remaining neutral after their settlement with France in 1701.

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See also

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Notes

See also

★ Queen Anne's War (1702-1713)

★ King George's War (1744–1748)

★ French and Indian War (1754–1763), not to be confused with the French and Indian Wars

★ British military history

External links

★ King William's War (1690-1697) at usahistory.info

Notes

1. Taylor: ''American Colonies: The Settling of North America,'' p.290
2. Taylor: '' American Colonies: The Settling of North America,'' p.291