French and Indian War: Key Campaigns 1755–1760

Braddock's Big Mistake at Fort Duquesne (1755)

Imagine a huge fight happening in the woods! Back in 1755, a British general named Braddock led about 1,000 soldiers, plus some American fighters led by George Washington (who would later become president!). They were trying to capture a French fort called Fort Duquesne. Washington tried to warn Braddock that the French and their Native American allies wouldn't fight fair, like lining up in neat rows. Instead, they'd hide in the trees and bushes and shoot. But Braddock didn't listen.

On July 9, 1755, just as Washington warned, the French, along with Canadian fighters and over 600 Native American warriors, jumped out from behind trees and ambushed Braddock's soldiers. The British (Braddock's men) were standing out in the open, easy targets, and a lot of them got shot. Braddock himself was shot, and more than half of his army was killed or badly hurt. Braddock died a few days later, proving Washington was right!

Britain Gets a New Game Plan (1756–1758)

After this big loss, Britain officially declared war in 1756. For a while, the French, led by a smart general named Montcalm, kept winning. Native American tribes who were allied with the French also scared a lot of the settlers. But then, a new leader named William Pitt took charge in Britain in 1757. He was like a new coach for a losing team! He sent more money, more ships, and replaced the old, less effective generals with younger, more energetic ones.

Soon, things started to turn around. The British managed to capture Fort Duquesne (the one Braddock failed to get!) and renamed it Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt. They also sent a general named James Wolfe to capture Quebec, which was the main city of New France (what Canada was called back then).

The Big Battle for Quebec and the End of the War (1759–1760)

Quebec was a super tough place to attack because it sat on tall cliffs above a big river, like a natural castle. General Montcalm, the French leader, thought it was impossible to capture. But General Wolfe had a super daring plan! In 1759, under the cover of night, his soldiers secretly climbed those tall cliffs. By morning, they were on a big open field called the Plains of Abraham, right outside Quebec.

There was a quick but fierce battle, and the British won! Sadly, both General Wolfe and General Montcalm were badly hurt and died. But with Quebec captured, and then Montreal following soon after, the war in North America was pretty much over. The British had won!