Strategic Waterways: How Rivers Shaped the French and Indian War | 1700s America & Canada

As winter ice begins to crack and spring beckons, Peter reflects on the waterways that once dictated the fate of nations. While scouting for turkey and prepping for canoe season, he dives into the vital role rivers and lakes played in the French and Indian War—part of the global conflict known as the Seven Years’ War. These waterways weren’t just routes for trade and travel—they were the battlegrounds of empires, fiercely contested by the British, the French, and the many Indigenous nations who called this land home.

From the mighty St. Lawrence to the Mohawk and Hudson River systems, Peter explores how geography shaped strategy, where forts rose, and why the war's most decisive campaigns followed the flow of water. With a blend of history, personal insight, and wilderness storytelling, this episode highlights the connection between landscape and legacy—and how spring’s thaw still whispers of past conflicts carved in current.
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???? Featuring: Peter Kelly
???? Videography, Production & Editing: Catherine Wolfe

???? Music Courtesy Of: Richard Fortier and Al MacDonald
Mandolin instrumentals: Michael Righi
Violin music: Meghan Balogh
Guitar played by Koen Tholhuijsen. Music composed by Marcel La Haye
Full album: Mundo de Dialogo

Thumbnail and description: Shane Kelly

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