The Genesis of Global Conflict: George Washington and the Seven Years' War Era

George Washington's Early Career

• Born in $1732$ in Virginia, later managed approximately $2,315$ acres.

• Inspired by his brother, he sought a job as an officer in the Virginia Colonial Militia.

• His $1753$ mission to the Ohio Valley to tell the French to leave, despite harsh conditions and French refusal, made him well-known.

• Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel at $22$ (early $1754$), but faced British soldiers looking down on him due to his colonial status.

Escalation in the Ohio Valley

• Jumonville Glen (1754): Washington surprised a French scouting group; the French commander, Jumonville, was killed by Native American allies, making the fight bigger.

• Fort Necessity (1754): Washington unknowingly signed a surrender document admitting to the "killing" of Jumonville, which started a big war all over the world.

Global Context and Colonial Dynamics

• British colonies in North America had the most people; French focused on trade and kept strong friendships with Native American tribes, controlling important rivers away from the coast.

• The Ohio Valley was super important for military plans, considered the "key" to controlling the continent's rivers and lakes.

• Albany Plan of Union (1754): Benjamin Franklin proposed a single government for all colonies to protect themselves together, but it was turned down by both colonial assemblies (feared loss of local control) and the British (feared loss of their power).

The Seven Years' War ($1756-1763$) / French and Indian War

• Official declaration of war between Britain and France in $1756$, involving powerful countries worldwide.

• Braddock's Defeat (Battle of Monongahela, 1755): General Edward Braddock's sticking to straight-line fighting was a huge failure against the hit-and-run fighting style of the French and Native Americans near Fort Duquesne; resulted in many British deaths, though Washington showed he was a good leader.

• Fall of Quebec (1759): General James Wolfe's brave night attack on the Plains of Abraham led to the defeat of French General Montcalm; both generals died, getting a clear and important win for Britain.

• Washington, upset by losing battles and being looked down on by the British, quit his military job and got involved in Virginia's government.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

• Officially ended the Seven Years' War.

• Britain got all of French Canada, Spanish Florida, and all French land East of the Mississippi River.

• Spain received the huge Louisiana area, including New Orleans, from France as a trade-off.

• France lost all its land in mainland North America, making Britain the strongest power in the world.

Post-War Conflicts and British Imperial Policy

• Pontiac's War (1763): Native American tribes, very angry that their lands were given to the British without asking them, launched a big rebellion against British forts and towns.

• Proclamation Act of 1763: King George III issued a rule saying colonists couldn't settle West of the Appalachian Mountains to stop more fights with Native Americans. This deeply angered colonists who wanted more land, including George Washington.

• Britain's national money owed doubled from approximately $£75 ext{ million}$ to $£130 ext{ million}$ due to the recent wars. Prime Minister Grenville wanted the colonists to help pay off this money owed, leading to making things more tense.

Colonial Identity and Early Seeds of Dissension

• Even with these problems, most British colonists were still proud to be British and expected the King and Parliament to respect their local rights and land claims.

• This growing conflict between what the colonies expected (to rule themselves) and what London wanted (to rule them) set the stage for future fights.