French And Indian War Research Paper

The French and Indian war was a very curious conflict, and the way it began is even more curious. The start of this war can be traced back to a huge demand of beaver fur in Europe, and the competition between France and England for dominance over the most viable trapping territories. But during this war, one major figure in US history got thrust into the limelight, and that Figure was George Washington. In the Article “Ambition, Accomplishment, and acclaim” by Don Higginbotham he states that George Washington was a very ambitious man, who was highly visible and had an enormous amount of experience in military affairs. This statement is backed up throughout the article with supporting facts and statements from Washington’s correspondences. However, while this article does stick very closely to the facts and provide an accurate picture of Washington’s early life, it does leave off key information about the attack on Ensign Jumonville which many consider a Firestarter for the French and Indian war. Even as a young man, Washington associated himself with families of power to increase his political standing. This can be seen by as he befriends both Gov. Dinwiddie and Col. Fairfax. Because of this friendship and respect that he gained he was appointed as a militia administrator. In 1752 he became the adjunct for the Southern district, and later requested a switch to the northern district. In 1753, with tensions growing higher and the French pushing more into the Ohio river valley, Gov. Dinwiddie decides to send an emissary to attempt to get the French out. It's widely believed that Col. Fairfax informed Washington of this, causing him to ride to Richmond and volunteers before the Governor and his council to be their emissary. When Gov. Dinwiddie appoints him, a chain of events begins that would propel this now twenty-three-year-old George Washington onto the front pages of history books for years to come. Washington knew that one of the easiest ways to gain renown and respect was to serve in the military. He knew this from when his older half-brother Lawrence served under Gov. William Gooch in 1740 Lawrence served in the Caribbean which earned him the favor of Gooch, who gave him pay and opportunities for the rest of his life. Washington made two influential journeys into the Ohio river valley during his military career. The first from 1753 to 1754, he took a small group of Indians and frontiersmen over seven hundred miles to the French Fort de la Rivière au Boeuf on the shores of Lake Erie. The French commandant there welcomed them as guests, but he declined to move from the area. Even though by all accounts the expedition was a failure, Washington still gained a lot of renown from it. Before he left the colony, Gov. Dinwiddie had asked him to record an account of the wilderness and his adventures. When he returned to Virginia it was published both in the colonies and …show more content…
Dinwiddie Washington proudly said that in fifteen minutes his soldiers had killed ten Frenchmen, including one Ensign Jumonville who was the unit’s commander. This battle brought Washington a lot of acclaim in both Virginia and London. Also, during this time period Washington’s Commander, Col. Joshua Fry, died; Which consequently made Washington the Commanding officer of the Virginia regiment. After the battle in which Jumonville was killed, Washington built a small shack at the Great Meadows, near the site of the battle. Soon after though, the French came with a force of regular infantry and Indians 1,200 strong to get revenge for the killing of Jumonville. After realizing he was outgunned and out of food, Washington surrendered after only a day long siege. On July 3rd, 1754 Washington signed the surrender document, without realizing that the document also made him admit to the “assassination” of a French officer. This was used as propaganda to propel France towards war. For the rest of the war he served under Gen. Braddock, and his conduct in the conflict made him a well know and highly respected individual. This lead to him being invited to the first and second continental congresses, and being made the first president of the United