Did you know that the failed diplomatic efforts of a 21 year old precipitated the French and Indian War (1756-1763)?
The dispute between Britain and France was over control of the area in the upper Ohio River Valley, where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet (located near modern-day Pittsburgh and valuable for transporting goods). When the French moved into that area, the British tried unsuccessfully to force them out and ended up declaring war.
Interesting Facts About the French and Indian War
1. A 21 Year Old Went on to Become Pretty Well Known
Before war was declared, Virginia’s lieutenant governor sent the young George Washington to deliver an ultimatum: The French must leave the Ohio River Valley area. Washington left Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1753 on a rough, winter journey, and he and his traveling companions arrived in a raging snowstorm to hand-deliver the letter. The French captain calmly penned a reply that the French king’s claim to the area was “incontestable.” Washington and his party traveled almost 900 miles, for two and a half months, to deliver the message — and immediately return.
2. George Washington Kept a Journal of his Journey
It was published after his return (in Williamsburg and London) and turned him into a celebrity in both America and Europe. Virginia’s lieutenant governor Robert Dinwiddie published not only Washington’s journal but also included the letter Washington carried to the French and the response the French captain sent back.
3. The French and Indian War went Beyond the North American Continent
Winston Churchill called it the “first world war.” Elsewhere known as the Seven Years’ War, the conflict included fighting in Europe, India, Africa, the Philippines, and the Caribbean.
4. The Indians Taught the French How to Fight
Prior to this, the British had always fought out in the open, lined up and advancing toward the foe while firing. This previously unknown type of warfare caught the British off guard and led to a number of British deaths.
5. Cajuns Got their Name as a Result of the War
Modern-day Cajuns primarily descend from Acadians, who were French-speaking Catholics who lived in parts of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Though they promised to stay neutral in the French and Indian war, the British expelled thousands of them from Canada. Many fled to France and others to the American colonies. Some settled in Louisiana, where the name “Acadian” evolved into “Cajun.”
6. The French and Indian War Set the Stage for the American Revolution
The British were deep in debt at the end of the war and passed several acts aimed to raise funds from the American colonies: the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and others. Those led to the now familiar cries of “taxation without representation” and eventually to the Revolutionary War, and then to the formation of the United States of America.
You can research your ancestors who fought in the French and Indian War at Ancestry. The Connecticut General Assembly is a searchable database of more than 29,000 men who served in the colonial militia between 1755 and 1762.
7. The name “French and Indian War” is Misleading
French Canadians call it La Guerre de la Conquete, or War of Conquest. Some Native Americans sided with the French, but others sided with the British. Some switched their allegiance as the war dragged on, while others remained neutral throughout.
The French and Indian War from Scottish Sources is a database of information extracted from personal papers at the National Archives of Scotland of 10 regiments of Scottish Highlanders who fought in the conflict. Many of them stayed in the American colonies after the war.
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