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How did British colonial cooperation improve after 1757?

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Painting of Edward Braddock and British troops in uniform advancing through dense forest, facing Native American and French fighters during the French and Indian War near Fort Duquesne. — French and Indian War British commander Edward Braddock and his troops preparing to march on the French-held Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) during the French and Indian War.

After 1757, British colonial cooperation improved significantly due to the vigorous leadership of William Pitt the Elder, who assumed direction of the British war effort during the French and Indian War.1

Before this shift, the British war effort had struggled, but Pitt’s policy fostered a more effective coordination between British forces and the American colonies. This change in strategy led to a series of repeated military victories, including the capture of key French forts such as Louisbourg, Quebec, and Montreal between 1758 and 1760.1

By centralizing the war effort and providing more decisive leadership, the British government was able to better leverage colonial resources and military potential to secure victory over France in North America. However, this period of cooperation was relatively short-lived; the magnitude of the victory and the subsequent British attempts to tax the colonies to pay for the war effort eventually undermined the loyalty of the colonists and sowed the seeds of the American Revolution.12