group of soldiers over the Allegheny Mountains. The Virginia militia's mission was peaceful: to
construct a fort near the head of the Ohio River. It turned to disaster when a Seneca chief
persuaded Washington to attack some French soldiers nearby. The skirmish lasted no more
than fifteen minutes. When it was over, ten Frenchmen were dead, including a French ensign
tomahawked by the Seneca chief.
These were the first shots in a war called by various names: the French and Indian War in
North America, the War of Conquest in French-speaking Canada, and the Seven Years' War
in Europe. "A volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set …show more content…
France lost its influence in North America, and Britain emerged as the preeminent
colonial power. Despite their promise to the Ohio Indians, the British built Fort Pitt on the
previous site of Fort Duquesne.
Britain's victory was to have other implications. "The war that changed the world in the
eighteenth century was one that was bad for the victor," says Anderson. Discontent grew
among the colonists, who became outraged by heavy taxes levied to pay for the war and by
restrictions on settling beyond the Allegheny Mountains.
"British officials saw a need to impose order on a big, sprawling, disorderly empire," says
Stephenson. "And the colonists believed the British were victorious because of their
participation. They expected to be treated as equals, as partners in a great venture to expand
the empire and defeat their enemies."
A new, separate American identity was budding. "People like George Washington were
toasting the British victories and were proud to be members of the British Empire,"