Why was the french and indian war the war that made america?

France's influence in North America was tied to the fur trade -- they set up trading posts in Canada and around the Great Lakes, and maintained relationships with the native Indians.  Meanwhile, British colonists settled along the Atlantic coast -- pushing the American Indians further inward.  In the 1750's, France and Britain were both building empires, and came to blows over the land between their American settlements -- the Ohio River Valley.  However, the Indians also called this land home, and they would play a valuable role in the war by tipping the balance of power in favor of one of the European empires.