The result of the Seven Years' War was an enormous increase in the power of Great Britain, especially with regard to its chief adversary, France. The British took over Canada, decisively defeating the French at Quebec in 1759. The French were expelled from America entirely with the exception of their colonies in the West Indies. Prior to 1756, the French had claimed possession of not only Canada but the interior of the North American continent west of the Appalachians and north of Mexico. In 1763, the portion of this territory west of the Mississippi was turned over to Spain, while the British took possession of the entire region extending from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi, including Florida, which had previously been part of New Spain. In other words, some Spanish territory was in effect traded to Britain in exchange for a larger (as yet unexplored by Europeans) region in the interior of North America.

During the same period, the British secured control over much of India, defeating the Bengalese and the French at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. At this point the territory gained on the Subcontinent was placed under the control of the East India Company rather than direct control by the Crown. On the European Continent, Prussia gained territory from Austria, beginning its rise as the leading power among the German states. In all, these separate developments showed that the Seven Years' War was actually the first truly international conflict, a World War occurring on multiple continents.

The outcome in America led directly to the American Revolution for two reasons. First, the taxation schemes that caused resentment in the colonies were an effort by the Crown to make the Americans, who supposedly had benefited from the war, recompense the Crown for its expenditures. Second, the Proclamation of 1763, which was intended to prohibit white settlement west of the Alleghenies, angered the colonists because now that the territory had been secured by the British, the colonists believed it was their right to extend their settlements to it. In addition, the American Indians were placed in a more vulnerable position than ever given the defeat of their de facto allies, the French. The war had far-reaching consequences.

The Seven Years' War effectively put an end to France's status as a great world power. To be sure, France was still the dominant power in Europe, on land, at any rate. But her ambitions to be a major player on the international stage were thwarted by the Seven Years' War, and would not be revived until the rise of Napoleon.

In North America, Britain was now the sole power. Having defeated the French, she was in complete control over what is now Canada and the United States. Although these vast landholdings incurred considerable costs, both in terms of men and materiel, their unchallenged possession decisively tilted the international balance of power firmly towards the British. Indeed, in the aftermath of the Seven Years' War, Great Britain could now be said to be the only truly international power worthy of the name.

The Seven Years’ War managed to tilt European regional power to favor Britain over France. France and Austria formed a coalition against Britain and Prussia. Austria agreed to the convenient alliance in order to improve their chances of recovering Silesia from Prussia. The alliance between Britain and Prussia proved superior compared to the France-Austria coalition. However, it should be noted that before the defeat of the French-Austria coalition, the French had successfully supported the Mughal Empire in their war against Britain. French support for the Mughal Empire was retaliation for British attacks on French territories in North America.

The Treaty of Paris was favorable to the British Empire after it managed to not only give the British French territories in North America but also led to the acquisition of some Spanish territories in America. Globally, British influence and authority surged as French influence declined. A similar situation occurred in North America, which saw growing British dominance in the region. The American Revolution gave France and Spain an opportunity to revisit the results of the Seven Years’ War by supporting the colonists against the British.

How did the Seven Years' War change Europe-North American colony relations?

The answer to this question varies greatly depending on which European power we discuss. The relationship between Great Britain and the colonies changed significantly. Prior to the war, British authorities practiced a rather hands-off approach to governing their North American colonies. As long as the colonists remained loyal and did not cause too many problems, the King and Parliament were content to let them do pretty much as they pleased. This is often referred to as a policy known as Salutary Neglect.

After the war, Britain took a more controlling approach. The war had a hefty price-tag for Great Britain, and they felt that the Colonies should help pay for it since it was essentially fought for their protection. This led to the levying of new taxes and the enforcement of commercial regulations. This more heavy-handed approach to governing the colonies would breed the resentment that would eventually lead to the American Revolution.

For France, the change in relations with their North American colonies was starker. They lost them. A condition of the 1763 Treaty of Paris entailed the ceding of all French territory east of the Mississippi River. Many French colonists returned to France. Others left for French-controlled islands in the Caribbean. Some stayed behind and became English subjects.

We must also talk about Spain. Near the end of the war, the Spanish allied themselves with the French. After the war, the Spanish lost dominion over Florida to Great Britain. There were very few Spanish colonists there at the time, and most left when Florida was ceded to the British. Little changed, however, in the Spanish territories west of the Rocky Mountains, as these remained under Spanish control.

In an interesting twist, Spain was given the French territory of Louisiana as a condition of the Treaty of Paris. Upset at the transfer of power to Spain, some of the French colonists left for the Caribbean colonies, yet others stayed to remain under Spanish rule. Some French fur traders remained further inland, particularly in the St. Louis area.

The Spanish made some attempts to establish their own populations in the territory. A meager population of Spaniards settled in New Orleans where they intermarried with the French and Cajuns there. The relationship between the French colonists and Spanish officials was always a tenuous one. In order to appease the French population, the Spanish took a light approach, allowing the continuation of the French language and customs in the territory. They did, however, impose certain trade restrictions that favored Spain. French resentment grew large enough that they drove out the Spanish authorities in October 1768. Faced with open revolt, the Spanish responded in force and violently put down the insurrection.

The Seven Years' War resulted in major changes regarding the North American colonies held by Britain and France. Britain won the war against the French and their Native American allies, but the ultimate result was more complicated than a simple victory.

The French lost control of their colonial territories in North America. They lost their grip on the Ohio River Valley west of the Appalachian Mountains, and they were pushed out of Canada. Britain expanded their control over North America by gaining the land west of the Appalachian Mountains and East of the Mississippi River, as well as territory in Canada and Florida. This proved to be a loss for the Native Americans west of the Appalachian Mountains, as they had forged more positive relations with the French and held more hostile relations with the British.

Things were not perfect for the British, however. Despite their gained territory, problems arose with the 13 colonies that would eventually form the United States. The British, who found themselves in debt after the conflict, turned to the colonists to help repay it. They believed that increasing taxes on the colonists would prove an effective way to help repay their war debt. This led to tension with and anger from the colonists, who lacked representation in British Parliament (which later became a major motivation and rallying point for independence). Furthermore, the colonists were displeased with the issuing of the Proclamation Line of 1763, which forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. Many of the colonists who had supported the British in the war hoped that a British victory would wrest control of the Ohio Valley from the French and thus open it to colonial settlement. This also proved to be a point of contention giving rise to the American Revolution.

This question should more properly ask about the relations between England and the North American colonies.  After this war, France no longer had any North American colonies.  Therefore, the relationship was really just between England and the colonies. 

The relationship between England and the colonies was fundamentally changed by the war.  It is fair to say that the war was the factor that changed the relationship and led to the American Revolution.  This is because the war caused England to need to take closer control over the colonies.

After the war, England’s finances were in poor shape.  The war had been expensive and there were debts that needed to be paid.  Therefore, the English government did two main things.  First, it tightened its enforcement of laws (particularly laws having to do with trade and smuggling) in the American colonies.  Second, it imposed taxes on the colonies to help defray the costs of the war.  These actions angered the colonists greatly.  They had become used to being left alone in the past few decades and did not like having the government exerting control over them in new ways. 

Thus, the war severely weakened the relationship between the British government and the colonies.

How did the Seven Years' War affect the British in North America?

As a result of the Seven Years' War, Great Britain dramatically increased its territorial presence in North America, gaining control of Canada as well as lands west to the Mississippi. In terms of national prestige and global power, the Seven Years' War was an absolute success.

However, the war itself placed a tremendous burden on the British economy, a factor which would prove critical in shaping the American Revolution. The Proclamation of 1763, which aimed to prevent hostilities with Native Americans by barring settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, created resentment among colonists. Additionally, as the British began to impose new taxes and to more stringently enforce mercantile law in the colonies, this also led to the rise of tensions between the colonials and the British government. These rising tensions would eventually culminate in the American Revolution (and the creation of the United States).

However, despite the loss of its North American colonies, Great Britain would retain control over Canada, and it would remain a significant European and global power. Indeed, if you were to look towards the history of the British Empire across the nineteenth century and even into the twentieth century, you can see that its defeat in the American Revolution would not prevent further imperial expansion worldwide.

The French and Indian War had a profound effect on the British colonists living in North America.  The British colonists initially felt a great deal of patriotism as they helped the mother country defeat France in a major war; however, this would soon change.  Parliament, in an attempt to cut down on the defense costs of the colonists, created the Proclamation Line, which forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.  The land west of this line was meant to reward the Native Americans who had helped the British in the war.  To the many colonists who dreamed of western land, this was a terrible idea.  Also, the colonists spent decades fighting the natives in this border region—for Britain to reward them seemed ungrateful for all the help the colonists provided during the war. Additionally, British officials in the colonies saw that colonists were willing tax evaders.  Colonists would often buy goods even if they were being sold by nations who were enemies with Britain.  In many cases, the colonial tax collectors were complicit in this activity: they took bribes.  Since the Seven Years War wore heavily on the British treasury, Britain sought to make the system of taxation more fair by passing laws which tightened the tax code in the New World.  Parliament reasoned that the colonists could pay for their own defense, and, at the time, someone living in London paid far more taxes than someone living in Boston.  The colonists, living for years under salutary neglect, chafed at this newly instilled Parliamentary oversight. This is what would lead to the American Revolution about a decade after the French and Indian war ended.