In his latest New York Times column, Ross Douthat explains the significance of the Seven Years’ War, also known as the French and Indian War. (Hat tip: who else but the amazing Tyler Cowen?) Here is an excerpt from Douthat’s excellent essay (italics in the original):

“Once you recognize that kind of deep historical complexity, you can go in two directions. Along one path lies a kind of cynicism about almost every aspect of the past, where the reader of history is encouraged to basically root for nobody, and the emphasis is always on the self-interest lying underneath every expression of idealism. The French might have modeled what seemed like a kindlier form of colonization, but they were only following their own self-interest as greedy traders and proselytizing Catholic zealots. The New England colonies might have pioneered what seemed like an impressive form of egalitarian democracy, but they achieved their wide distribution of property by ruthlessly crushing the Pequot and the Wampanoag.“