George Washington’s Role in French and Indian War

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S ROLE IN FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
The Role of George Washington in French and` Indian War
Cherelle Lasseter
South University
HIS1101
May 8, 2019

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 2
Introduction
The scramble for the partition of colonial boundaries were marked by wars and enslaving
of the people whose land was captured. While European nations sought to expand their
territories, they engaged in conflicts between themselves, as it is the case with the French and
Indian War, also known as the Seven Years’ War. Fought between 1754-1763, the British fought
against their outnumbered France, who sought the support of Indians in the battle, in order to
capture the most parts of North America (Borneman, 2006). While British and French
colonialists had already captured large areas in the north, many Indian tribes occupied the land in
between, therefore leading to intermarriages. In this regard, the Indians fought in both sides of
the war. While the war remains very popular centuries later, the actions of George Washington
are considered to have sparked it. The then governor of Virginia Lieutenant Robert Dinwiddie
learnt of French’s interests in expanding their territories towards the Ohio Valley region, a move
that would adversely impact on his businesses. He therefore sent the 21-year-old George
Washington with a letter to warn the French to leave their land, as they were already harassing
English traders. French Captain Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre replied the letter, declining to
move away from capturing Ohio Valley. After his return, George Washington wrote a detailed
letter pertaining his journey, and which was published in many newspapers. This led the British
to learn about French interests in Ohio Valley and subsequently, Lt. Governor Dinwiddie sent his
army to fight and destroy those who resisted British control in the region. Therefore, his actions
are considered as having ignited the great war, which lasted to about seven years.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 3
Background History of George Washington
For this research, I will focus on the role of George Washington, whose actions have
been stated to have caused the war. Subsequently, while he became a hero in his home region, he
was promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel, who led about 160 militiamen from Virginia, to march to
Ohio and stage an attack on everyone who resisted British control (Washington & Chase, 2004).
He is also a person of great interest in the American history, as he later rose to become the first
president of the United States of America, between 1789 to 1797. On 28th May 1754, together
with about 40 militiamen, 12 native warriors and a Seneca chief, they invaded a French camp at
dawn, killing about 13 soldiers, and also capturing another 21 soldiers (Washington & Chase,
2004). This marked the beginning of the French and Indian War, and George Washington’s full
engagement in the military. While the first attack prompted the French to reinforce their battle
men, an attack at Fort Necessity prompted George Washington and his troops to surrender, and
this marks the only time in history when he ever surrendered to an enemy.
I chose to discuss the role that Lt. Col. George Washington played in triggering the
French and Indian War, as this war also spread to South America, Philippines, India, Africa and
even in the whole of Europe. Before this war, there had been three other territorial wars, which
were not as big as it. These wars showed how colonizers were willing to capture as many regions
as they could, eventually leading to the conflicts. Prior to the war, Washington and his brothers
were businessmen in an Ohio Company and therefore, the French and Indian war was the first
war that exposed him to battle, military life and eventually, it bore the beginning of his political
life (Weems, 2015). In a span of seven years, he had become experienced and this prepared him
for the life that lay ahead in the coming years.