History That Doesn't Suck - 1: That One Time When George Washington Sort of Triggered an International War

Episode Date: September 28, 2017

"[He] washed his hands with the brains." This is the story of a 22-year-old George Washington as commander of a 400-man army fighting the French. We'll also hear about his childhood, the deaths, backcountry experience, and finagling, that bring George--who's untrained, inexperienced, too young, and completely Outgunned--to this moment. He fails. Miserably. But not without triggering a war between France and Britain that will change the American colonies' relationship to the British Crown forever. This Second Edition episode is a rewritten, rerecorded, and remastered version of the original episode that aired on September 27, 2017. Head to HTDSpodcast.com to find out how to listen to the original. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content,

and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. It's July 3rd, 1754. Roughly 400 British soldiers, mostly colonials from Virginia,

are pinned down by an army of 600 or more French and their 100 or so Native American allies. The British army occupies one of the poorest excuses for a fort you could ever imagine. It consists of what we could call a small cabin, encircled by a palisade, basically a seven-foot-tall fence made of rough-hewn wooden posts. It's only large enough for 70 or so men to take advantage of this lackluster protection. That leaves the roughly 300 other soldiers outside, crouching or laying behind nothing more than a shallow earthen parapet as musket balls and arrows fly towards them. The only thing worse than the wooden fortification's construction might be its

location. We are in southwestern Pennsylvania, though given the era, we might do better to think of this ill-defined region as the Ohio. The fort sits in an open meadow on a valley floor surrounded by tree-covered hills. In other words, it's exposed, while the French and Native Americans enjoy the cover of trees and the high ground. With a tree line as close as a mere 60 yards. They can almost pick off their British foe. If mid-18th century guns were actually accurate, that fort might only be filled with the dead. Bad as this is, things grow even worse for the British as the morning's rain turns into a torrential afternoon storm.

Their fort's small cabin structure in its middle is a far cry from waterproof, and everything else is completely exposed. Gunpowder and firing mechanisms get soaked, and it isn't long before most of their muskets fail to fire. But this isn't really a problem for the French. The same trees hiding them from the British fort also provide significant shelter from the rain. Imagine being one of these soldiers. You're likely laying in the mud of the crude, two to three foot deep trench just in front of the fort's palisade. The continuous fire from the French ensures you stay as close to the ground as possible,

partially submerged in the small stream starting to form in the trench. You're cold, wet, and immersed in this stream formed not only of rainwater, but of the blood of the dead and the wounded, some of whom might be your friends, neighbors, family. The commander of this godforsaken scene is a 22-year-old, untrained lieutenant colonel thrust into his first large-scale battle. Picture him with me. In a time when the average colonial American stands around 5 feet and 8

inches, this kid is at least 6 feet tall. He cuts an imposing figure in his sharp, red and blue uniform, although his tricorn hat has long ago failed to protect his face from the rain. The torrential rainfall is soaking his reddish hair, now matted to his face. He pushes it away from his gray-blue eyes as he desperately tries to make out what to do in the face of this much larger army, knowing that his life and that of hundreds of men depend on his decisions. He moves rapidly, splashing through puddles of blood and water, leaping over the muddied bodies of dead soldiers falling under his command, shouting orders amid the sounds of swivel gun cannons, hundreds of muskets, the cries of the wounded, and the continuous drum of the rain.

Who can even hear him? Hours pass. As the afternoon drags to a close and dark approaches, his men know the end may well be near. The French will advance in the cover of night and overrun the fort. Lacking the numbers or dry gunpowder, these men are hopeless.

And so, they break into the kegs of rum stored in the fort. After all, the dead and soon-to-be-dead have no need to fear a hangover. They might as well have at it, and roughly half of the fort's defenders are soon drunk. What hope can this 22-year-old leader have? He's not just inexperienced and ill-equipped. He's also outgunned and outnumbered. His men are now inebriated. No one trained him for any of this. Frankly, for his sake, perhaps we should hope he's having a drink too. Fact is, the situation could hardly look more grim or deadly

for the young, in over his head, Virginian Lieutenant Lieutenant Colonel George Washington. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. I doubt I'm giving anything away with the following sentence, but, spoiler alert, George Washington is going to survive, and will live on for quite some time. After this battle in 1754, he'll go on to lead the Continental Army of a newly fashioned America in a war against the British Empire, beat it, then get elected unanimously by the Electoral College as the first president of the United States. And the only reason he won't continue to be president after his second term is because he'll say he's done. He'll voluntarily walk away from power. So how on earth does this young lieutenant colonel and this crude fort on this night get from here to the presidency of a country

that does not yet exist? Or at least, how does he survive this battle, the battle of fort necessity, and start down that path? Well, to answer that, we've got to get to know George, and that means going back to his childhood. We have to unpack the myths and legends that surround him because George Washington is a figure people often either love or hate.

And the funny thing is that, whatever one's feelings are about him, they're usually built upon legend, myth, and in perpet built upon legend, myth. And in perpetuating these tales, we place George on a pedestal. This often means that, for many, he's perfect and how dare you attack him?

Which, of course, leads to an inaccurate, romanticized view of George Washington and ultimately undermines our understanding of him and the United States. Or on the other side, the pedestal means we have to point out he wasn't that great after all. We've got to get him off that pedestal. And in the process, we can swing too far the other way. Of course, the truth is that, like any other human being, George is a mixture of both. Underneath the lore is a mortal man with admirable and negative traits. I want you to meet this George.

That's the George I find interesting. That's the George I find relatable. So let's head back two decades and get to know George by following him through his childhood. We'll learn how he ends up at his aptly named fort, Fort Necessity. Then see how this battle is paving the path toward a revolution. Ready? Here we go. Rewind.

Born in February 1732, George has a lot more going for him than most colonial Americans. But he's not quite as rich, gentrified, educated, or privileged as you might think. Now, I don't mean to overstate. Let's be clear. By the time the American Revolution breaks out in the 1770s, one-fifth of all Americans are enslaved. And in George's home colony slash state, 40% of Virginians are enslaved. And of course, the Washingtons own slaves. There are various accounts, but George's father, Augustine, or Gus as he's called, likely has around 50. George will own slaves too, and yes, slavery is a topic we'll fully tackle in later episodes. So I'm not saying George Washington has the hardest childhood for the era.

Again, he is gentry. But he comes from the lower rungs of Virginia's gentry, and he faces some challenges that make growing up harder on him than you might expect. To make a comparison to our present, the 21st century, think of George like a middle class kid whose parents move into a rich neighborhood. You know, they find the one affordable rental. It's still going to stretch their budget, but they're moving in because they want to get Junior into that really good school district.

Ah, but now the middle class kid feels insecure because, in this better school, the richer kids make fun of him for having worn that same t-shirt just last week. Yeah, that's kind of George. I know, getting made fun of for wearing the same t-shirt isn't exactly going Dr. Phil material. But that's my point. George is still gentry, just lower gentry. His father has land and slaves, but won't exactly be remembered for his business prowess. Speaking of George's dad, Gus, let's talk about the cherry tree.

If you aren't familiar with the story, it goes like this. Around 1738, six-year-old George is given his very own hatchet. The excited child naturally chops at wood all around the farm, particularly his mother's pea sticks. But one day, he strikes his father's beloved cherry tree. As his little hatchet shaves bark and gouges the hard wood, George damages it so badly, the tree dies. Gus Washington notices the next day.

Devastated, he asks his young son, George, do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? The six-year-old is scared, but knows he must come clean no matter the punishment. He answers, I can't tell a lie, Pa. You know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet. Gus is touched. He throws open his arms and replies,

Run to my arms, you dearest boy, run to my arms. Glad am I, George, that you killed my tree, It's an endearing tale and a fun way to say, look how important it is to be honest, just like our founding father. But alas, sources don't line up. It's probably made up. And we don't need to hold that against George. It's not like he fabricated it. You can likely think, or blame, Parson Weems. The version I just shared with you comes from his biography of George, The Life of Washington, which the biographer will publish a year after the founding father's death. Point being, the cherry tree story isn't true, but I don't think we need to hold that against George.

Moving to confirmable facts, let's talk about George's education. So I made the comparison to the middle class kid going to a rich kid's school, but please only take that so far as me trying to make George a little more relatable to your 21st century life. Because his formal education sucks. Abraham Lincoln looks like a Rhodes scholar compared to George. The future commander-in-chief picks up things as he goes, and he's bright, but he's severely lacking in formal education. This is another aspect of George Washington that lets us see just how low of a station he's coming from for Virginia's gentry. See, many of his peers, boys from other colonial gentry families, they're going to England for a classical education, including Latin, Greek, and French. That would have been George's trajectory.

It's what should have happened. But his dad dies. Only in his late 40s, Augustine Gus Washington gets sick and passes in 1743. George is 11 years old. So again, plenty of people have had it worse, but let's recap how much it does kind of suck to be George Washington.

His education lacks for a social standing, he's fatherless at 11, and he's not inheriting much anytime soon. The two sons from Augustine's first wife inherit the majority. This includes George's eldest half-brother, Lawrence, who inherits an iron mine and a one-and-a-half-story farmhouse

on an over 2,000 acre track of land along Little Hunting Creek and the Potomac River. He decides to name the place after his commanding officer from his days fighting for the crown in the Caribbean, Edward Vernon. That's how it got its current name, Mount Vernon. As for George, he receives land in Fredericksburg, a half share of another parcel called Deep Run, and the 260-acre property his family currently lives on, Ferry Farm, as well as 10 enslaved Virginians. But again, George is only 11, so he isn't really inheriting yet. His mother, Mary Ball Washington, is in charge for now. That's hard for him.

Mary's often cranky, austere. One of George's childhood friends will later recall, I was 10 times more afraid of Mrs. Washington than I ever was of my own parents. George's future biographer, Thomas Flexner, will describe her as, quote, given neither to acquiescence nor compromise, close quote. While another biographer, Ron Chernow, will use such adjectives as hypercritical and unbending. Chernow does, however, point out that Mary has it rough too.

She's a 35-year-old widow, raising five kids while running Ferry Farm on a tight Spartan budget, desperately trying to keep her family from falling out of the lower echelons of the gentry class. That's got to be high stress. I feel for her. But her situation doesn't change George's reality, which is an overbearing mother who will hold on to Ferry Farm long after he reaches adulthood. Even when he's leading the Continental Army or serving as the first U.S. president, She'll never give him full approval, complaining, rather, that he should do more for her. But that's down the road. Right now, in the mid-1700s, George sees life at home with his mom as enough of a living hell that he prefers to cut out as often as possible to hang out with his much cooler, older half-brother, Lawrence.

Over time, this allows Lawrence, who, again, has inherited a place and named it Mount Vernon, to become a father figure to the fatherless George. That'll do for the basics of George's earliest years. Let's talk teens. This is where the Fairfax family comes in. They are a huge influence and hookup for George. They are serious gentry. So when you're picturing that ridiculous, I don't even know what to do with all this cash type of wealth, that's the Fairfaxes.

Pretty much everyone in the Fairfax family has something of a relationship with George. Lawrence Washington is tied in there too. He's married into the Fairfax family. But most notably, I want to point out that Lord Thomas Fairfax, the influential, powerful patriarch in this patriarchal time,

he digs George. George is manly in an 18th century colonial America sort of way. George rides horses like a champ and is awesome with hounds. These are the manly things that men do in the same sense that manly, masculine men today play football, golf. Well, whatever. This kind of depends on the circles you run in, but you get it. So through the Fairfax connection, George hopes to join the British Navy. And this is perfect. Remember, Lawrence inherited.

George, not so much yet. He needs a career and he's all set. Then his mother. Remember the description I gave of her earlier? She flips out. Considering what she'll say at other times in his life, she's likely feeling he's abandoning her. I can't give you her exact words,

but a Washington family friend, Robert Jackson, says Mary, to quote him, she's likely feeling he's abandoning her. I can't give you her exact words, but a Washington family friend, Robert Jackson, says Mary, to quote him, offers several trifling objections such as fond and unthinking mothers naturally suggest. So I picture 14-year-old George with, as he says, his baggage packed, standing by his front door with his mother laying into him, saying something along the lines

of, oh, George, how could you forget your mother and your duty to her? What will we do? How will we ever manage? How can you do this? And so on. George doesn't go. Imagine that. You have a career, one that you're excited about, and all you have to do is walk out of the house. And your mom stops you. That's rough. Now, knowing what we do about what George does later in life, I'd say this isn't showing a lack of backbone, but a concept of honor and family values,

good traits in my book. And here's an interesting counterpoint. Who knows if the United States would even exist if Mary Ball didn't keep her teenage son from going to sea. Well, George still needs a job, and the Fairfaxes aren't giving up on him either. So two years later, in 1748, they hire George to help survey frontier land in the Shenandoah Valley. Can we pause for a second to take in the age?

He's 16. He's working. So again, if you're picturing George as this elite dude who's never done a day's worth of work in his life and has everything handed to him, I'd encourage you to reconsider that position. I mean, surveying backcountry sounds a lot harder than my job at 16 of cooking fries at In-N-Out Burger. Though to be fair, my paper hat wasn't nearly as cool as his tricorn. So that's a perk for George. But it probably doesn't offset having to give up his crude straw bed because it's filled with lice.

Truthfully, though, he has an amazing time doing this. He's off in the Blue Ridge Mountains. George comes across some Native Americans who do a war dance in exchange for some rum. The young surveyor faces down a rattlesnake. This is all super manly stuff, again, in an 18th century colonial America sort of way. George is a man's man in all the right ways to help his career. Basically, the future Davy Crockett's got nothing on George.

And he's beyond excited to have this job. He needs the money. There are times when he doesn't go places because he can't afford to feed his horse. You know, kind of like you having a hard time coming up with gas money. Yeah, that's where George is coming from. But just as his financial fortunes are starting to turn,

tragedy strikes. Remember how his father died when he was 11 and his older half-brother became his father figure? Well, since it's so easy to lose one father, the universe decided George might as well lose two. Death is knocking at Lawrence's door. He's suffering from tuberculosis, and medicine being what it is at this time, doctors can only suggest that Lawrence get to a better climate for his lungs. Maybe that can save his life. This is why Lawrence goes to the Caribbean island of Barbados in September 1751,

and George accompanies his beloved father figure slash half-brother. Now, if you're thinking, geez, lucky George, I want to go on an international trip to the Caribbean, let's be clear, this isn't a 21st century vacation. It's nothing like that. First, this isn't entirely international. The British crown rules both Virginia and Barbados at this point. Even still, this is the closest he'll ever get to an international trip. It's the only land he'll ever see in his life that won't be a part of the future United States. But really, this is more like you living in Los Angeles and going

to Hawaii. It's still the United States. Except instead of going to Hawaii to enjoy the beach, in this case, you'd be going to watch your sick father figure slash half brother almost die. Lawrence will make it back to Mount Vernon, but the trip doesn't help. He dies on July 26th, 1752. But don't be too sad for George. There's a consolation prize. While he's there, he can track smallpox. Yes, the super deadly disease of European origin that devastated the indigenous population of the Americas after the Spanish first showed up in the Western Hemisphere. Yay for George? I'm not being entirely sarcastic though. This gives him immunity to the disease, and considering that it will be one of the greatest killers of the American Revolution, this is, in fact, a silver lining. And while I have no doubt

George would rather have Lawrence alive than benefit from his death, the fact is, George may never become the future commander of the Continental Army and the President of the United States if not for his passing. Lawrence's death changes the younger Washington's life. George will eventually rent Mount Vernon from his widowed sister-in-law, Anne Fairfax Washington, and will inherit the estate outright when she, like her first husband and daughter before her, dies in 1761. After that, George will expand Mount Vernon into the much larger mansion still standing today.

But right now, Lawrence's death also means his younger half-brother can apply for a military office. Lawrence was adjutant general of the Virginia militia. In some ways, it's more of a social and drinking group than a militia. But nonetheless, George still has this military itch that he didn't get to scratch when his mom kept him from joining the Navy. Virginia's leaders are now dividing the militia into four districts with one adjutant each. But still, George wants to succeed his brother by filling one of these posts.

And how is he going to do this? He's never trained as a soldier. How can he lead soldiers? Easy, he knows he doesn't need to know how to do it, just who to talk to. The past is a different place and we need to remember that values, culture, customs, and so forth can be different, even if it is the history of our own country. But that said, some things stay the same. Some things are timeless because we are the same species. One of those things, a thing that transcends country and time,

is networking. He starts chatting up the right people. On June 10th, 1752, George writes to Virginia's lieutenant governor, a rotund Scotsman named Robert Dinwiddie, about getting an adjutancy. I should take the greatest pleasure in punctually obeying, from time to time,

your honor's commands, and by a strict observance of my duty, render myself worthy of the trust reposed in me. I flatter myself. I should meet with the approbation of the gentlemen of the council. It works. In November 1752, he lands the gig as adjutant of Virginia Militia's Southern District, and by February the following year, his command is moved to the district he really wants, the Northern Neck. Thus, despite having never soldiered, 20-year-old George is in charge of leading soldiers

as Major George Washington. This might not be such a bad thing if the militia stayed a little more than a social club. But as the French and the British crowns global contest for empire heats up over a North American region known as the Ohio Country, that won't be an option. In a little more than a year, those powerful international forces will put the talented yet inexperienced major

in a rain-soaked fort, filled with men both drunk and dead. Mama, look at me! Vroom, vroom. I'm going really fast. I just got my license. Can I borrow the car, please, Mom? Kids go from 0 to 18 in no time. You'll be relieved they have 24-7 roadside assistance with Intact Insurance. Mom, can we go to Nana's house tomorrow?

I want to go to Jack's place today. I'll just take the car. Don't wait up, okay? Kids go from 0 to 18 in no time, don't they? At Intact Insurance, we insure your car so you can enjoy the ride. Visit Intact.ca or talk to your broker. Conditions apply. Interior Chinatown is an all-new series based on the best-selling novel by Charles Yu

about a struggling Asian actor who gets a bigger part than he expected when he witnesses a crime in Chinatown. Streaming November 19th only on Disney+. To understand how George ends up in that pitiful fort, we need to take a break from his story for a second and talk about 1750s international politics. France and Britain are vying for world domination. At this point, France's American territory, called La Nouvelle France, or New France, includes what you and I will call Canada and the middle of the United States.

That's why we spell a lot of state and city names in the Midwest, well, incorrectly. I mean, Illinois. Really? There's an S at the end of that. Why don't we say Illinois-s? Because the French hate to pronounce the last letter, or sometimes the last few letters, of any word. And of course, we have the state of Louisiana, named for the most powerful king in the history of France, Louis XIV. And its most popular city, New Orleans, or La Nouvelle-Orléans, is named for Philip II, the Duke of Orleans. Well, in their separate quests for world domination and empire, France and Britain are bumping into each other. They are on top of each other in India as well. Frankly, their colonial ambition has them neck and neck around the world. Did you ever wonder why every populated continent has a country

using English or French as its primary or at least official language? These colonial empires are why. And now, in the 1750s, their showdown has spread to the Ohio Valley, where rumor has it the French are countering British claims by building forts from Lake Erie through the Ohio River system. But the British and French aren't the only interested parties here. Native Americans are stuck in the middle of this. This includes those living in Ohio, as well as the upstate New York-based Iroquois Confederacy. Now, since we have already talked about America's indigenous peoples a bit, and we'll do so indigenous peoples a bit, and we'll do so again in a few minutes and many future episodes, let me pause to address some of the

various terms used to describe them. These include Native Americans, indigenous peoples, First Nations —that one's quite popular in Canada— and American Indians. Different tribes and individuals feel differently about which one is best, and you'll hear me use them alternately in this and future episodes. When possible, though, it is my preference to call indigenous groups by the name of their nation. In brief, my choice of language is very much intended to show respect, so whatever your preference might be, please know my intentions are nothing but the best. With that addressed, as I was saying, Native Americans are kind of stuck in the middle of this clash between France and Britain.

And there are two things to keep in mind about their situation here. Number one, there aren't a lot of indigenous people. Remember what I said earlier about smallpox. There are only about 150,000 Native Americans living east of the Mississippi at this point. Contrast that with over a million colonial Britons in the Americas. Sheer numbers put them at the mercy of these massive empires. Number two, remember that Native Americans don't see themselves as a single united people.

They are from different nations, speak different languages, and have their own conflicts. Case in point, though based in what colonials call New York, the powerful six-nation Iroquois Confederacy has long asserted control over the Ohio country and other indigenous groups that now live there, such as the Shawnee, the Delaware, and a local Iroquois people called Mingos. In other words, even that 150,000 number is divided as the leaders of each indigenous nation do what they think is best for their specific group. Hence, some will ally with the French, others with the British. By the way, given the indigenous or Indian alliances with either the French or the British,

I bet you can guess why this upcoming war is sometimes called the French and Indian War. Well, back in Virginia, Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie is very disturbed to hear about the French moving in on the Ohio. Maybe he's just thinking about king and country. Personally, I think it has more to do with him being a shareholder in the Ohio Company, which is a land speculation enterprise. It's kind of hard for the British to speculate on land if the French control it. So, he gets King George II to order that an envoy go tell the French to back off and leave the Ohio. Otherwise, things will get messy. There's a problem, though. You need someone important to serve as an envoy for the king, a gentry class type,

preferably with a title. But what kind of person from that level of society could handle traveling through hundreds of miles of rugged terrain inhabited by Native Americans to go speak to the French? It's like the position was made for George Washington. Not only is he a gentry class landowner and a Virginia militia major, but the 21-year-old is also a rugged surveyor. And he's all about the task. Basically, when he hears what kind of gentry could deliver this message, George responds, hold my beer. Well, this is 18th century colonial America,

so maybe hold my Madeira would be a better fit. That's like the Coca-Cola of the period. It's everywhere. Point being, it's on. George is the man for the job. Our young emissary sets out to deliver this ultimatum to the French on October 31st, 1753. His team grows along the way. First, we have a Dutchman named Jacob van Brom, who will serve as George's French interpreter. Next is fur trader and Ohio Company agent Christopher Gist. He provides a knowledge of indigenous languages and cultures.

Four backwoodsmen will help carry supplies and otherwise add muscle. Traveling through rain and snow for weeks, this group makes its way to the multi-tribal indigenous village of Logstown, where George hopes some native allies will join the party as well. But that isn't going to be as easy as he thinks. The young Virginian is about to get a crash course in diplomatic negotiations as he meets a man destined to play an enormous role in his life, a Seneca leader named Tanagrisson. It's November 25th, 1753. George and Tanagrisson

sit down in the Virginians' tent to talk. And what a sight they are. George is an untrained, inexperienced, 21-year-old British emissary. Tanagrisin is a seasoned politician of the Seneca Nation, a 50-something pro-consul slash ambassador in Logstown to exert the Iroquois Confederacy's power in the Ohio Valley. Reflecting their understanding of his meaningful but limited power here, the British refer to him as the Half King. George knows the Half King has spoken with the French commander and asks about that conversation. Tanagrisan responds that he lectured and threatened the French, whom he calls fathers, by saying, if you had come in a peaceful manner like our brothers the English, we should not have

been against your trading with us as they do. But to come, fathers, and build great houses upon our land and take it by force is what we cannot submit to. Okay, our wet-behind-the-ears diplomat is a bit taken aback. I mean, cool, the half-king is not pro-French. He hates them, in fact. But it's George's understanding that Tanagrisan himself signed an agreement last year that would let the Ohio Company build and settle out here. So why did he only say trade and assert such a strong claim to the land? Is there a miscommunication here? The answer is yes, a huge one, and that is just beginning to dawn on George.

So as the half-king and other leaders ask in days following what he's going to talk to the French about, George stays vague. To quote him, I provided as satisfactory answers as I could, which allayed their curiosity a little. Oof, crisis averted. Bringing two other indigenous leaders and one hunter,

the half-king agrees to join George. The enlarged party departs from the village of Logstown on November 30th, and after covering 60-plus miles in a few days' time, the young Virginian gets his first parley with the French leader. On December 4th, 1753, George arrives at Venengo, and here, a French captain raised among the Seneca people Philippe de Joncure invites the Virginian

to join him for dinner. George reports that as the group dines le capitaine has a bit too much wine and drunkenly admits to the young Virginian that quote

it was their absolute design to take possession of the Ohio and by God they would do it. Close quote. Hoof. In vino veritas, huh? George is starting to grasp just how fervently France, Britain, and the Iroquois all intend

to hold onto the Ohio Valley. After pushing through more wilderness, rain, and snow, George's entourage arrives as the sun sets on December 11th at Fort Leboeuf. Think modern-day Waterford, Pennsylvania. The next day, George meets the one-eyed, silver-haired, 52-year-old Captain Jacques Le Garder de Saint-Pierre and delivers the back-off-the else message. The French commander is plenty polite, and promises to send word of this British ultimatum up the chain of command, but explains, as to the summons you send me to retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it.

Damn. Meanwhile, George has been exploring this cannon-laden fort, and noticed the over 200 canoes ready to transport an army. George can see the French threat is serious. Within a few days, he's booking it back to Virginia to warn the lieutenant governor. Slowed by snow, yet in deep haste, the young major decides to ditch his horse so he can move lightly and cut the trails. Only the fur trader Christopher Giss continues with the militia major

at this point. Well, him and a native guide they pick up at the indigenous village of Murthering Town. The stranger says he can lead them along a faster route. Chris doesn't like this though. Something about this guy seems off. The three men trudge through miles of snowy wilderness together. As their guide starts leading them more toward the north and making claims of a cabin, George begins to distrust him too. Then suddenly, those instincts are proven correct. The guide dashes ahead of them about 15 steps, turns, and fires at them.

Good thing for the United States, this guide misses his mark. Chris and George charge forward and tackle their assailant as he tries to reload, and Chris might have killed him in this moment if not for George's intervening. On the young Virginian's insistence, they send their would-be assassin off in the opposite direction.

George and Chris will continue to watch their backs and just pray he doesn't double back. The duo soon face their next challenge, crossing the ice-chunk-ridden Allegheny River. They'd hoped it would be frozen over, but no such luck. With nothing more than one poor hatchet, the two men laboriously spend an entire day fashioning a raft, then finally push off using a pole to navigate the river's ice chunks.

This works fine, until about halfway across. As George tries to push off an ice chunk with a pole, a strong current throws the raft against the pole, vaulting the young major into the freezing water. Incredibly, the powerfully built major manages to grab hold of the raft. He and Chris then succeed at getting out of the hypothermic waters and find refuge on an island in the river. They pass a miserable night. George's clothes are frozen as hard as rock.

As you can imagine, he doesn't sleep well. When dawn breaks, they find the river has frozen over. Finally, some luck. Now they can walk across the hard ice to civilization. The worst of this expedition is over. Roughly two weeks later, on January 16th, 1754, one month and two near-death experiences since leaving Fort LaBeouf, dutiful George arrives at Virginia's capital of Williamsburg to deliver the French commandant's answer. Soon thereafter, he hands over his own written account as well. To George's surprise, Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie

publishes this 7,000-word report of his 900-mile round-trip journey. And it's a big hit. Few colonials in these days are known beyond their local communities, let alone their home colony. Yet, Londoners are now reading the Journal of Major George Washington. Basically, he's colonial America's best-selling author and already gaining notoriety throughout the British Empire. As for Robert Dinwiddie, and remember,

he is financially invested in this as a stockholder in the Ohio company and has the political power to pursue his agenda as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. It's clear that the French will take the Ohio if he doesn't get troops there fast. He manages to convince the Virginia government to cough up funding for an army of 300 men. George is even mentioned as a possible commander. And can we just pause for a second to take in how crazy that is? He's 21. 21 years old. He's never even been trained as a soldier.

Now, Robert and others think he should lead a few hundred men out into barely charted territory to potentially take on an army from one of the 18th century's greatest world powers, the French. I know, cue up the French military defeat jokes, but you need to understand that the French have, historically, rocked it on the battlefield. Like Britain, they didn't build a worldwide empire by saying please. But I think the interesting thing here to note is what this must say about George. From Lord Fairfax to the lieutenant governor, influential and powerful men just can't seem to help handing him huge responsibilities.

Evidently, George excels at proving his potential and capability. But George turns it down. And hey, this is the guy who would later say no to being president for a third time. Hell, he'll say no to being king of America. He seems to have a good grasp of reality and a level of concern for the welfare of the larger group that checks his own ambition to a degree, even at a young age. He is willing, however, to take the role of second in command, so let's not confuse checked ambition for lack of ambition. George writes to Councilman Richard Corbin on January 28th, In conversation at Green Spring you gave me some room to hope to be ranked among the chief officers of this expedition. The command of the whole forces is what I neither look for,

expect, nor desire, for it is a charge too great for my youth and inexperience to be entrusted with. Knowing this, I have too sincere a love for my country to undertake that which may tend to the prejudice of it. But if I could entertain hopes that you thought me worthy of the post of lieutenant colonel and would favor me so far as to mention it at the appointment of officers, I could not but entertain a true sense of the kindness. And so it's decided. The 50-something William and Mary College mathematician, Joshua Fry, will serve as Virginia's commanding colonel

over 300 men on this expedition, while the ambitious yet practical and patriotic George Washington will have the opportunity to learn and grow as number two at the rank of lieutenant colonel. That's the idea, at least, as, a few months later, George leads an initial force of 150 to assert the interests of Virginia and King George II against the French and their native allies at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, or, as they merge here to form the Ohio River, the Forks of the Ohio.

But there's a problem with this plan. What happens if Joshua fails to show up? Amazon's holiday deals are here so you can celebrate the season early. With low prices on decor, electronics, and beauty. Perfect for stocking stuffers. And my stockings looking good. Shop holiday deals early on Amazon now. shot at an even bigger payout. Plus, with super simple live betting, lightning-fast bet settlement, and instant withdrawals, FanDuel makes betting on the NFL easier than ever before. So make the most of this football season and download FanDuel today. 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. Gambling problem? Call 1-866-531-2600 or visit connectsontario.ca. Lieutenant Colonel George Washington sets out to go tell the French what's up in April 1754, with just over 150 poorly trained, ill-equipped men

who are only willing to go because of promises of land as part of their payment. The other 150 of the 300 soldiers that Virginia is willing to pay for have yet to be raised. That's what George has to work with. As they carve a road from Virginia to the Ohio Valley, they are met by another group of 33 men who were sent out ahead of them to build a fort at the forks of the Ohio. The returning group tells George some thousand or so French and indigenous allies showed up and told them to pack it up and head back to Virginia or else. Happy to be alive, the little group got out of there fast. They also let George know that the Seneca leader who accompanied him to speak with the French commander last year, Tanagrisson, or the Half King, is pissed to see the French invading.

He stands staunchly with the British. After all, the French are currently the clearer threat. Can you see the rock and a hard place Native Americans like the half-king find themselves stuck between? It's almost like they get to choose, be displaced by the French or the British, but either way, be displaced. Even so, in this particular situation, Britain is the half-king's best bet since the French currently appear more aggressive. So George still has an ally out here. But now the Virginian has a tough decision to make. Does he retreat in the face of this far larger French force and let down his native ally in the process? Or does he put faith in the arrival

of his commander Joshua Fry and more reinforcements and make the half-king happy in the process? This is above his pay grade. Joshua should be here making this call, damn it. But it's fallen to George. The barely 22-year-old lieutenant colonel decides he'll stay and make a permanent camp in this marshy area called the Great Meadows, located in what you and I know as southwestern Pennsylvania.

Yep, this camp is the start of the fort he's going to get stuck in, Fort Necessity. But as George waits for his commanding colonel, more Virginians, and boldly pens letters to the governors of Maryland and Pennsylvania asking for further reinforcements, terrifying threats are growing. By late May, George's fur-trading friend from last year's expedition, Christopher Gist, has reported French troops threatening him at his nearby home. The Virginia Regiment's sentries have heard and fired at someone or something lurking in the dark of night. Is it the French? And now, Tanagrisson's warriors are reporting some French troops are camping only six or seven miles away from the Virginians. George meets with the Seneca leader, who suggests

they team up and carry out a surprise attack. Given their fearful situation, George consents. Late on the night of May 27th, he leads some 40 men out into the dark, rainy night, along with the half-king and his 12 or so, to ambush the French. Okay, time out. A few things you've got to keep in mind before George goes all A-team here. Remember, France and England aren't at war.

French soldiers spared that group of 33 fort builders we just mentioned a minute ago for that very reason. And last I checked, ambushing a group of soldiers is an act of war. George does have permission to go down this road if needed, but it's supposed to be a last option thing. What we are seeing here is George's youth and inexperience. The half-king, on the other hand, has plenty to gain. Keep in mind, the French are now building forts on his turf.

So of course, a swift ambush on the French sounds great to him. And that's how it goes down at the break of dawn. It's about 7 a.m., May 28th, 1754. A little over 30 French soldiers camped in a rocky, secluded glen are just starting their morning when some of them spot Virginian soldiers on high ground above their camp. They run for their guns. Realizing his men have been seen, the physical giant leading these Virginians likewise prepares for battle. I can't say who fires first, but both do. Frenchmen and Virginians alike are hit and fall dead or wounded, and

musket balls fly right by George as Tanagris and his men charge the French from behind. Within 15 minutes, the French see that their situation is hopeless. They throw down their muskets and surrender, though the half-king's forces do not initially break off their attack. The French call it a massacre. George calls it a fair fight. And it's hard to say who's right because sources conflict. George tells us he suffered three to four casualties, one dead, the others wounded, while the French suffered 10 deaths, all of whom the half-king's fighters scalped. A 20-year-old Irishman serving under George, named Private John Shaw, isn't here today, but after talking to many of those who are, he'll suggest that 13 to 14 French die. The French say George's men fired first. George says the French fired first. Massacre or

not, the most important detail is that someone kills the French party's leader, Joseph Colloncier de Jumonville. According to an unnamed indigenous warrior's version later told to the French, a Virginian shot Monsieur de Jumonville. Other accounts say Tanagrisson killed him. In this version, the half-king identifies the French leader after the battle, and as non-French-speaking George is trying to talk to Jumonville through an interpreter, the Seneca leader comes up to him and says, Tu n'es pas encore mort mon père, which is French for, you're not yet dead my father. And with that, the half king quickly pulls out a tomahawk and sinks it into the Frenchman's

head, splitting his skull in two. Private John Shaw reports that Tanagrishan then, quote, washes his hands with the brains, close quote. If this is how Jumonville died, the moment leaves a bit to unpack. How is our untrained non-French-speaking, barely an adult, and in his first battle, future president taking this in, I wonder. I would guess with shock. He just watched a man with whom he's had a rather decent rapport for about half a year squeeze Jumonville's brains through his fingers like jello. And why did the half-king do it? Obviously, today, we'd call this a war crime, and I don't defend the act, but I will ask you to remember this is a different time.

Like I said earlier, customs, morals, social protocol can vary. Further, the half-king did claim the French had boiled and eaten his father. Yeah, that's part of why he's so pro-British and anti-French. If that's true, I'd call that a crueler death than a hatchet to the head. Is this revenge? The half-king could also be feeling pretty desperate about the position of his people with French advancement. Maybe this was an emotional reaction.

Perhaps it was calculated to make sure the English went to war with the French so they could push out the invaders. Whatever the reason, we'll never know exactly. And while circumstances and other accuracies in Private John Shaw's account give a greater credibility, you've got to decide for yourself which of the various accounts you believe. Regardless of who did it, Jouanville's death is serious. His men are angry, livid, waving papers and yelling out in the battle's aftermath. While their words aren't recorded, I can imagine the scene.

Qu'est-ce que vous avez fait? Vous êtes assassin! Vous avez tué un diplomat! C'est un acte de guerre, ça! Êtes-vous fou? All the while, George just looks to his translators. Finally, it comes out.

Jumonville was going to speak with the British. He had the exact same mission George fulfilled last winter. Jumonville was to tell the British to leave French Ohio. George is now responsible, to some degree, for the death of a diplomat. The young lieutenant colonel doesn't fully grasp the potential international incident level gravitas of this. He'll defend this engagement, later known as the Jumonville Glen Skirmish, insisting these French troops were actually spies.

George will also showcase his cool under fire in a letter to his kid brother, John, writing, I heard bullets whistle, and believe me, there was something charming in the sound. When King George II later hears about this line, he'll later quip that the Virginian would not say so if he had been used to hear many. It's hard not to agree with his majesty. While George has displayed some of the raw elements that will serve him well in the American Revolution, he fearlessly placed himself where enemy fire was hottest yet kept his cool. This comment to his brother and failure to

see the full implications of the dead French diplomat all exhibit his youth and inexperience. Well, after this, George and his men return to the rest of their forces in the Great Meadows. George might not appreciate that he may have just triggered a war between two empires, but he does realize the French are likely to retaliate. He writes to his still-absent colonel, Joshua Fry, the next day, May 29th, asking him to hurry along any reinforcements. But Joshua isn't coming. He falls off his horse while leading troops out to the Ohio

and dies as a result two days after George wrote that note. Despite his own feeling that he lacks the expertise to lead this expedition, George just inherited command of the Virginia Regiment. He digs in. Over the next month, George's camp in the Great Meadows becomes a fort consisting of a small cabin encircled by a wooden palisade and an exterior trench. These improvements are an absolute necessity, and hence its name, Fort Necessity. Meanwhile, Major George Mews arrives with 200 reinforcements and nine small cannons, called swivel guns.

The two Georges get along just fine, but our young commander struggles when Captain James Mackay arrives with 100 South Carolina independents on June 14th. See, James is only a captain, but the Scot is also a part of the regular British army. Therefore, James tells George, he, as a royal officer, will call the shots on anything involving their combined forces. Hmm. Yeah, this James guy has way more experience, but this doesn't strike George as being right. Isn't he a British subject? Are colonials not equal to those from the British Isles? He holds higher rank, so what's with this second-class treatment? We're seeing the start of something here, even if George doesn't see it yet. Well, the two settle their differences by not communicating and maintaining separate

camps. Reinforcements, swivel guns, an alliance with the half-king. George is thinking they're all right. He even thinks they'll take the offensive. Then on June 28th, they receive intelligence that the French, who took over the forks of the Ohio, have built a fort there and have 800 men plus 400 indigenous allies. Okay, can't attack that. Lieutenant Colonel George Washington and Captain James McKay continue to command their separate forces, but put their differences aside

as they repair to Fort Necessity. Worse still for George, Tanagrisson is bailing. If the French attack, he's not about to risk the lives of his men in this fort that he describes not as a fortification, but as, quote, that little thing on the meadow, close quote. On the morning of July 3rd, that attack does come. After a brief engagement on the meadow itself, the British fall back to Fort Necessity.

600 French soldiers and 100 native warriors then take positions on nearby wooded hills and rain musket balls and arrows on the 400 British troops. The storm grows worse. British powder gets wet. And as the sun sets, we're back to where we first met George. In his fort, soaked by the rain, splashed with mud and his men's blood.

And I believe we left off with the rum. Night is falling. Incredibly, the French stop firing around 8 p.m. A voice calls out to the fort. Voulez-vous parler? In other words, do you want to talk? Well, of course George wants to talk. The French have him over a barrel.

Why would they even give him a way out? We suspected deceit, George tells us in a later account. You know what though? It doesn't matter. He has no choice but to accept the parley. So George, who again has no skill in French, sends out Jacob von Braun, his interpreter. While waiting on Jacob, George does a count. More than 100 men are dead or wounded, and there's almost no food or gunpowder. Yeah, he'll count himself lucky no matter what terms the French give. I'm guessing Jacob's grinning from ear to ear by the end of these negotiations. George need only leave two captains as temporary French prisoners, one of whom will be Jacob captains as temporary French prisoners,

one of whom will be Jacob. Otherwise, the French commander, Capitaine Louis Coulon de Villiers, is letting the rest of the British forces depart immediately and honorably with its colors. Lieutenant Colonel George Washington and Captain James Mackay aren't complaining about these terms. I mean, this capitulation seems too good to be true. Of course, that's the problem. It is. You see, this isn't just political. It's personal. The dead diplomat was de Villiers' younger brother, and this capitulation says the French commander's attack on Fort Necessity, quote, never was to trouble the peace and good harmony which reigns between the two friendly princes, British and French crowns,

but only to avenge the assassination of one of our officers. Yikes. Why would George sign this? Because polyglot that Jacob is, neither his French nor English is perfect, perhaps especially when reading unfamiliar handwriting by dim candlelight. We don't know how he screwed up translating the original French phrase, mais seulement de venger l'assassin qui a été fait sur un de nos officiers, but he did. A few years later, George will write, that we were willfully or ignorantly deceived by our interpreter in regard to the word assassination

I do aver, and will to my dying moment, so will every officer that was present. But no matter. The damage is done. That fateful summer night in 1754, George, monolingual, denied a classical education despite being gentry class George, signs the Articles of Capitulation, thereby unintentionally agreeing that he's an assassin. The next morning, the young lieutenant colonel and his men depart Fort Necessity to return home. Ironically enough, the date is the 4th of July. Despite the assurance of peace in the articles George has signed,

the skirmish at Jumonville Glen and the Battle of Fort Necessity mean war. Both the British and French empires send skilled, trained commanders and armies to fight over the Ohio country in a conflict that comes to be known as the French and Indian War. Two years later, in 1756, the fighting outgrows North America as the global empires and their allies throw down in Europe and India. Dismissing the two years of death and destruction in North America before things escalated, the Eurocentric engagements take a name of their own, the Seven Years' War. Whatever you want to call it, the tensions that led to this colossal, multi-continent contest certainly transcend one 22-year-old colonial American. But he nonetheless unleashed them when he and the half-king attacked, or as the French claim, assassinated, Jumonville. As Sir Horace Walpole

is said to have so eloquently put it, quote, the volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set the world on fire, close quote. So true. George didn't set up the dominoes, but he sure as hell tapped the first one, and it had enormous consequences on the Americas. For starters, let's talk territory. Great Britain wins, and the 1760 capitulation of Montreal, along with the 1763 Treaty of Paris that officially ends the war, redraw the map of North America in Britannia's favor. France's ally, Spain, loses Florida to triumphant Great Britain, but gains French claims west of the Mississippi and New Orleans as compensation. Defeated France takes the brunt of the losses. From Canada to the Gulf Coast,

Great Britain takes everything the French control east of the Mississippi. In other words, the French crown has to kiss goodbye to all of its once vast territory on the mainland of North America. Louis XV does get a consolation prize, however. Great Britain returns the captured Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, ensuring slave-run economies will continue to keep France supplied with sugar. As for Great Britain, these new territories acquired from France and Spain make it the undisputed imperial power of all mainland North America east of the Mississippi. And it won't detail them, but the British also pick up other territories in other regions, including India. In other words, that is, in historian

Francis Parkman's words, quote, half the continent had changed hands at the scratch of a pen, close quote. And as the pen scratches, politics and policing are coming into play. King George can't lay off his greatly expanded army. That would upset far too many of his loyal top brass serving in the House of Lords. He also can't bring the army back to Britain, though, because the British people are not okay with the king maintaining standing armies in their towns. So he'll leave these troops in America. After all, can he really trust those newly christened British subjects in formerly French-controlled Canada? Or the no longer Spanish Floridas?

Perhaps more concerning, what about the 150,000 or more indigenous peoples from Louisiana to Canada that Europe's rulers didn't consult before exchanging their lands? This danger is so real, the crown draws a line down the Appalachian Mountains, the Proclamation Line of 1763,

and tells colonials they don't have permission to cross it. So yeah, leaving 10,000 soldiers to police this new territory sounds like a good plan to His Majesty's government. Now, down to brass tacks. Building and maintaining an empire ain't cheap. The French and Indian War, slash Seven Years' War, has roughly doubled the crown's debt, now approximately 130 million pounds. Think tens of trillions of 21st century U.S. dollars. Making the interest payment alone will require higher taxes, and that isn't even including the cost of 10,000 troops protecting all of that new American territory.

Someone has to pay for all of these troops, and to the crown and parliament, it just seems fair that the colonial should. After all, leadership in London is quickly convincing itself that these troops are there for the colonists' protection. So you're welcome, Americans. But that isn't how the 13 colonies see it. And that's too bad for the crown, because this war also got American colonials

to start entertaining the idea that they are united in some way. You know that flag that says join or die with a snake on it? People often think it comes from the revolution, and don't get me wrong, it'll get used then too. But this Ben Franklin-authored political cartoon first appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9th, 1754. It accompanied an article based on a, quote, express arrived here from Major Washington, close quote, that went on to argue that the French were pushing the British colonists around on account of the present disunited states of the British colonies. Ben pitched his Albany Plan, which called for a united colonial governing body that could better

fight the French and their indigenous allies only days after George signed that damning capitulation. Now, talking about unification is quite different from talking about independence, and I don't want to overstate their feelings of union or discontent. If anything, the colonies are at peak British patriotism in 1763. I only mean that the Seven Years' War has sown both the seeds of Unionist thinking as well as the seeds of future frustrations over finances and these supposedly helpful troops. These changes set up the problems between the crown and the American colonies

that will go unanswered, fester, exacerbate, and finally turn into a full-on war for independence. But what about the kid who started this whole thing, our buddy, George Washington? How is he viewed? Well, that depends on where we look. In Europe, he's a laughingstock. One French poet put this to pen, the assassination of Jumonville is a monument of perfidy that ought to enrage eternity. By attacking Jumonville, losing it for necessity, and inadvertently taking the blame as an assassin,

George played right into the stereotype of colonials back in England, a bumbling failure playing at military officer. In the colonies, though, George is the man. After all, didn't he win that skirmish against Jumonville? And who was it that bravely stood up to an army roughly twice the size of his own while rallying his men to continue fighting until the French and Native Americans gave quarter at Fort Necessity? Damn right you know who, our colonial born-and-bred hero, George. His legend only grew a year later in 1755 when native warriors and French regulars laid waste to British General Edward Braddock's forces. As the attack raged,

the general succumbed to his mortal wounds and the situation looked entirely lost. It was 23-year-old George Washington who saved the day by leading a successful retreat. The fact that the brave Virginian had two horses shot out from underneath him and bullet holes in his clothes by the time it was done only confirmed what a total badass he truly is. By the end of the French and Indian War, his name is on the lips of colonials far beyond the colony of Virginia.

And you know the funny thing? Both versions of George, Europe's and America's, are kind of right. But George isn't the Virginian for us to think about right now. He isn't the only character in this drama now starting to unfold

that is the origins of the United States. So he's going to exit the stage for a few episodes. Right now, we need to turn our attention to one of Virginia's other young gentry farmers who, like some of those Bostonians up north, is growing incensed over the new taxes meant to help offset this enormous empire's cost in the Americas. Next time, we'll meet the silver-tongued and fiery, if not flat-out treasonous, or patriotic, depending on your perspective.

Virginia legislator, Patrick Henry. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans. You can join by clicking the link in the episode description. My gratitude to you kind souls providing additional funding to help us keep going. And a special thanks to our members, whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Andy Thompson, Anthony Pizzulo, Art Lane, Beth Chris Jansen, Bob Drazovich, Brian Goodson, Bronwyn Cohen, Carrie Beggle, Charles and Shirley Clendenin, them at producer status. Thank you. Lawrence Neubauer, Linda Cunningham, Mark Ellis, Matthew Mitchell, Matthew Simmons, Melanie Jan, Nick Kaffrel, Noah Hoff, Owen Sedlak, Paul Goeringer, Randy Guffrey, Reese Humphreys-Wadsworth, Rick Brown, Sarah Trawick, Samuel Lagasse, Sharon Theisen, Sean Baines, Steve Williams, Creepy Girl, Tisha Black, and Zach Jackson.

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