Date Published:
July 2005
|
L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia
George
Washington
His
Role in the French and Indian Wars
Washington,
George
(1732-1799). First
president of the United States. In 1753, when he was adjutant-general
of the Virginia militia with the rank of major, he was sent by Governor
Dinwiddie to summon the French to withdraw from the Ohio country. He
met Joncaire at Venango, and Legardeur de Saint-Pierre at Fort Le Boeuf.
Saint-Pierre was polite, but non-committal. On the way back Washington
was nearly drowned in the Alleghany. The following year he crossed the
Alleghanies and surprised and captured a party of French under
Coulon
de Jumonville
. "Judge it as we may" says Parkman, "this obscure
skirmish began the war that set the world on fire". Washington built
Fort Necessity at the place called Great Meadows, near the Monongahela,
where he was attacked by the French under Coulon de Villiers and forced
to capitulate. Served as aide-de-camp to
Braddock
in his expedition against
Fort
Duquesne
, 1755, and was present at the disastrous
battle
of the Monongahela
. In 1778, after he had become president of the
new republic, he refused to sanction any invasion of Canada in which
the French would take a leading part, wisely avoiding the possibility
of the French re-establishing themselves on this northern border. In
1781 he was suspicious of the intentions of Vermont, and threatened
that if they attempted to join Canada he would lead his entire force
against them; and was indignant at their carrying on trade with Canada
. His attitude toward the United Empire Loyalists has been described
as unworthy of an otherwise high-minded and chivalrous character.
Return
to the Seven Years' War home page
Source
:
Lawrence J. BURPEE,
The Makers of Canada. The Oxford Encyclopaedia
of Canadian History
, London and Toronto, Oxford University Press,
1926, 699p., p. 675.
|