The French-Indian War was the American continent front of the Seven Years War [1756-63] which was being fought between France and England during that time. On the American continent, Britain and France were both trying to secure economic interests in the land west of the Appalachians. The French were based in Canada and wanted the area--containing both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers--as a good supply line for their hunters and trappers. The English wanted the land for their own purposes. Things were tense and each side worked with Indian allies to terrorize the settlers in the area.
One of the events that helped trigger the conflict was an action by Major George Washington--operating as a British loyalist with the Virginia militia--in 1754. Near present-day Jumonville Pennsylvania, Washington's men with their Indian allies launched a surprise attack on a French encampment. There's controversy about what the French were doing--getting ready to negotiate with English settlements in the area or trying to wipe them out militarily--but the French commander and nine others were killed. The brother of the French commander came back with 600 French troops and 100 Indian allies looking for vengeance. Washington set up a quick fort, called Fort Necessity, near the area and tried to hold out but had to surrender. The French were rather generous in accepting the surrender--the American troops were allowed to withdraw with honors--but the document in French included a statement where Washington accepted that he had "assassinated" the other commander. It was the only surrender in Washington's military career.
The Treaty of Par ...More...
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