Final answer:
The French and Indian War was significant because it determined that Great Britain would dominate eastern North America. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended the war, leading to territory gains for Great Britain, and set the stage for colonial discontent that culminated in the American Revolutionary War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significance of the French and Indian War was that it settled the issue of which European nation would dominate eastern North America, as highlighted in option A of the student's multiple-choice selection. The war, which lasted from 1754 to 1763, represented a power struggle between Great Britain and France and is known in a broader context as the Seven Years' War. Great Britain's victory and the subsequent Treaty of Paris in 1763 dramatically shifted the balance of power, resulting in France ceding its territories in North America to Great Britain. This not only made Great Britain a global empire but also set the stage for emerging tensions between the British government and American colonists, which would later fuel the flames of the American Revolutionary War.
The Treaty of Paris had major ramifications, including territorial gains for Great Britain and the removal of the French as a counterbalance to British power in the region. Additionally, the war had financial consequences, leading the British government to seek new revenue from the colonies, thereby sewing the seeds of discontent that would become manifest in the colonies' later quest for independence.