What was a key objective of British expansion into the Ohio Valley after the Seven Years' War?

• A. To take over the fur trade by controlling who could settle in the area.
• B. To grant independence to the colonies.
• C. To relocate First Nations to Canada.
• D. To sign a new alliance with the French.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that, after the Seven Years’ War, Britain pressed to control the valuable fur-trade networks in the Ohio Valley by deciding who could settle and trade there. Reigning over who could establish farms, build settlements, and engage with Indigenous traders meant Britain could regulate access to beaver pelts, set trade rules, and secure revenue, while also reducing French influence in a resource-rich region. This focus on controlling settlement and commerce explains why option describing taking over the fur trade by controlling settlement is the best fit.

The other options don’t align with the period’s aims: independence for the colonies was not Britain’s goal in expansion; relocating First Nations was not an official objective of British policy after the war; and forming a new alliance with the French contradicted the outcome of the war, which left Britain as the dominant power in the region.