Road To War

1. Road To War Team Tropical Mr. Monroe 7th Grade Humanities

2. Words You Need To Know!!! • Design • A detailed plan of something • Militia • A group of civilian men (150) trained to fight in case of emergency.

3. Major George Washington George Washington, 21 years old, was instructed by the Governor of Virginia to inform the French to leave the Ohio River Valley. We are going to read Governor Dinwiddie’s letter!!!

4. George Washington’s Journey to Fort LeBouef

5. [October 31, 1753] Sir, The lands upon the River Ohio, in the western parts of the Colony of Virginia, are so notoriously known to be the property of the Crown of Great Britain that it is a matter of equal concern and surprise to me, to hear that a body of French forces are erecting fortresses and making settlements upon that river, within his Majesty's dominions. The many and repeated complaints I have received of these acts of hostility lay me under the necessity of sending, in the name of the King, my master, the bearer hereof, George Washington, Esq., one of the Adjutants-General of the forces of this dominion, to complain to you of the encroachments thus made, and of the injuries done to the subjects of Great Britain, in violation of the law of nations, and the treaties now subsisting between the two Crowns. If these facts be true, and you think fit to justify your proceedings, I must desire you to acquaint me by whose authority and instructions you have lately marched from Canada with an armed force, and invaded the King of Great Britain's territories, in the manner complained of; that according to the purport and resolution of your answer I may act agreeably to the commission I am honored with from the King, my master.However, sir, in obedience to my instructions, it becomes my duty to require your peaceable departure; and that you would forbear prosecuting a purpose so interruptive of the harmony and good understanding, which his Majesty is desirous to continue and cultivate with the most Christian King.I flatter myself that you will be pleased to receive Major Washington with the evidences of courtesy and politeness which are natural to your nation, and I shall be at the height of satisfaction if you send him back with a reply conforming to my wishes for a durable peace between us.I have the honor to be,Sir,Your very humble,ROBERT DINWIDDIE.Williamsburg, in Virginia,October 31, 1753.

6. The French Reply As to the summons you send me to retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it. Whatever may be your instructions, mine bring me here by my general's order; and I entreat you, Sir, to be assured that I shall attempt to follow them with all the exactness and determination which can be expected from a good officer. Your very humble and very obedient servant,LEGARDEUR DE SAINT-PIERREFrom the fort on the Riviere aux Boeufs,December 15, 1753.

7. Washington’s Journal: Description of his Journey Back the Horses grew less able to travel every Day. The Cold increas'd very fast, & the Roads were geting much worse by a deep Snow continually Freezing; And as I was uneasy to get back to make a report of my Proceedings to his Honour the Governor; I determin'd to prosecute my Journey the nearest way through the Woods on Foot. Accordingly I left Mr. Vanbraam in Charge of our Baggage, with Money and Directions to provide Necessaries from Place to Place for themselves & Horses & to make the most convenient Dispatch in. I took my necessary Papers, pull'd off my Cloths; tied My Self up in a Match Coat; & with my Pack at my back, with my Papers & Provisions in it, & a Gun, set out with Mr. Gist, fitted in the same Manner, on Wednesday the 26th. The Day following, just after we had pass'd a Place call'd the Murdering Town where we intended to quit the Path & steer across the Country for Shanapins Town, we fell in with a Party of French Indians, which had laid in wait for us, one of them fired at Mr. Gist or me, not 15 Steps, but fortunately missed. We took this Fellow into Custody, & kept him 'till about 9 o'Clock at Night, & then let him go, & then walked all the remaining Part of the Night without making any Stop; that we might get the start, so far as to be out of the reach of their Pursuit next Day, as were well assur'd they wou'd follow upon our Tract as soon as it was Light: The next Day we continued traveling 'till it was quite Dark, & got to the River about two Miles above Shanapins; we expected to have found the River Froze, but it was not, only about 50 Yards from each Shoar; the Ice I suppose had broke up above, for it was driving in vast Quantities. There was no way for us to get over but upon a Raft, which we set about with but one poor Hatchet, & got finish'd just after Sunsetting, after a whole days Work: We got it launch'd, & on board of it, & sett off; but before we got half over, we were jamed in the Ice in such a Manner, that we expected every Moment our Raft wou'd sink, & we Perish; I put out my seting Pole, to try to stop the Raft, that the Ice might pass by, when the Rapidity of the Stream through it with so much Violence against the Pole, that it Jirk'd me into 10 Feet Water, but I fortunately saved my Self by catching hold of one of the Raft Logs. Notwithstanding all our Efforts we cou'd not get the Raft to either Shoar, but were oblig'd, as we were pretty near an Island, to quit our Raft

8. What Happened Next? • Governor Dinwiddie was not happy about the French reply. • Dinwiddie instructed Washington and a group of 150 men to construct a Fort at the Forks. • Washington could not build the fort there because the French already did!!! • The Fort was called Fort Duquesne. • Washington reported this information to Gov. Dinwiddie. • Dinwiddie then gave this information to many of his political allies including Benjamin Franklin.

9. Fort Necessity (May-July 1754) • Washington attacked a small French camp and killed many of the soldiers. • Washington built Fort Necessity a few miles away from Duquesne in order to defend themselves against the French retaliation. • The French did attack and forced Washington to surrender.

10. Benjamin Franklin • Owned the Pennsylvania Gazette • Was appointed the Post Master of the British Colonies • This made him very popular and politically strong across the majority of the colonies. • Published America’s first political cartoon which urged the Colonies to unite against the French.

11. First American Political Cartoon • What was Benjamin Franklin trying to say with this cartoon? • What are the colonies represented here?

12. Albany Plan of Union (June 1754) • An assembly of representatives from the majority of the colonies met at Albany, New York in order to discuss how the colonies should unite in order to defend themselves against the French. These are just a few of the clauses within the Albany Plan of Union: • 1. That the said general government be administered by a President-General, to be appointed and supported by the crown; and a Grand Council, to be chosen by the representatives of the people of the several Colonies met in their respective assemblies. • Similar to the President that we have today. • 9. That the assent of the President-General be requisite to all acts of the Grand Council, and that it be his office and duty to cause them to be carried into execution. • Separation of Powers • 10. That the President-General, with the advice of the Grand Council, hold or direct all Indian treaties, in which the general interest of the Colonies may be concerned; and make peace or declare war with Indian nations. • Similar to the Constitution’s manner in declaring war.

13. What Happened to the Plan? • The delegates from the Albany assembly had to take the plan to each of their individual colonies’ assemblies. • Each of the colonies found something in the plan that they did not agree with. • The Plan was not approved by a single colony. Not even Pennsylvania, Franklin’s home colony!

14. Resources • www.explorepahistory.com • http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html • http://www.constitution.org/bcp/albany.htm • Shmoop.com • Borneman, Walter. The French and Indian War: Declaring the Fate of North America. Harper Perennial, New York: 2006.