May 28, 1754: French & Indian War begins

Most likely, not even the Father of Our Country could foresee the consequences of a simple military action – particularly at his young age. On this day in 1754, 22-year-old George Washington ambushed a French-Canadian contingent, setting off the French & Indian War.

As was often the case in previous centuries, border disputes had led to rising tensions between France and Britain. It was unclear who had rights to the territory known as Ohio, and Lieutenant Colonel George Washington had tried (unsuccessfully) to tell the French to quit amassing forces in the area.

Tanacharison, an Iroquois chief known as Half King, hated the French; he claimed that they had boiled and eaten his father. So when his scouts came across the camp of Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville, he feared they were setting up an ambush. He asked Washington to intervene.

The Battle of Jumonville Glen lasted 15 minutes; according to some accounts, Half King delivered the death blow to Jumonville with a tomahawk to the head, then ate some of his brains.

It would be the first salvo in the worldwide Seven Years’ War, known alternatively as:

North America: French & Indian War
French Canada: War of the Conquest
Sweden/Prussia: Pomeranian War
India: Third Carnatic War
Prussia/Austria: Third Silesian War

As part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, France gave up most of its holdings in the New World to Britain and Spain. It would retrieve the Louisiana territory from Spain in 1800 (via a secret treaty) before selling it to the United States in 1803.

For more on Washington’s role in the French & Indian War, visit the website of Mount Vernon, also the source of this image.