George Washington's Militia vs. French Soldiers & Native Warriors : The Battle Of Fort Necessity

George Washington has led his men to a resounding victory over the French in the first official battle of the French and Indian War. It was a battle that was not intended to take place, and one that took a shockingly dark turn upon its completion.
The Virginia Militia had dealt a quick and decisive blow to New France’s expansion into the British claimed Ohio Country, leaving a dozen French-Canadian troops slain, and the rest eager to surrender.
It was however Washington’s indigenous accomplice in the assault, the Half King, the Mingo Chief, Tanacharison, whose actions would stoke the fires of war between two great empirical powers.
As the gun fire ceased, and the Colonials drew near, the Half King would approach the French commanding officer Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, viciously assassinating him, execution-style, with repeated blows to the skull before he was ritualistically mutilated.
The ghastly scene left an indelible impression on French-Canadian and Colonial British troops alike. Colonel George Washington was now faced with an unenviable task, to fall back to the Great Meadows where they had been stationed and build a fortification that could withstand the vengeful onslaught that was coming down upon them from the collective French and Indian forces of the area.
This bulwark would come to be known as Fort Necessity, and it is here that Washington would face the greatest trial of his young life.
The question was, would the young Colonel Washington and his men be up to the task?
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LINKS TO SOURCES
1. Washington by Ron Chernow Amazon.com: Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner): 8601300125206: Chernow, Ron: Books
2. Young Washington by Peter Stark Amazon.com: Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America's Founding Father: 9780062845993: Stark, Peter: Books

[@DeepTexas]

You are perhaps the best historical storyteller on TH-cam. Every video is outstanding.

[@NLBusiness391]

I actually said “ah nooooo” out loud when I heard the signature line “but that, is a story for another time”. I can’t get enough of your story telling, it’s utterly captivating. Always a great day when History at the OK Corral posts a video!

[@ponghibee]

I always know the signature line is coming and can't be avoided yet I am always shocked and shaken when he says it. In search of comfort and answers, I obviously click on another story and the cycle continues. Can't get enough of this!

[@JonWintersGold]

" Just sign the dotted line and everything will be alright... " yup... sounds legit to me

[@WyomingTraveler]

I am enjoying the shift from the wild west frontier to the wild, eastern frontier. Keep up the good work.

[@HistoricallyRomantic]

Friday Night plans are set 🙏🏻

[@DaLump89]

I love your videos on European encounters with other people for the first time.

[@thejosh24]

Was there in 2015. Well worth the trip.

[@shanegooding4839]

Great to learn about GW!😊

[@calvinaffinito8761]

Can you do the battle of the monongahela next ?!? Please lol

[@kennethblack7753]

This is my favorite history channel hands down, thank you

[@shamrockkid4027]

I always look forward to your posts. Great job as always!

[@NaturalSocietyHistorian]

Bonjour! 🇫🇷

[@judithcampbell1705]

Thank You 💛 for another interesting history lesson. It's good to learn about life as George Washington in those early days. Looking forward to another story of another time...

[@ericcrawford3453]

Excellent very well done, thank you.

[@nikolastsatsaronis5544]

You don’t decide who won a fifteen round heavyweight boxing match in round seven, eight or even fourteen. Each round is interesting but only part of the story.
It isn’t how many rounds you won but whether you were standing on your feet after you knocked your opponent down for the final count!

[@NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cv6ek]

Bloody Fascinating!!!

[@c.w.johnsonjr6374]

I remember being embarrassed the first time I read about this because as a kid in the US, I grew up viewing Washington as the American Zeus or Superman.

[@awolpeace1781]

Humble beginnings for great men, animated upbringings for lesser ones

[@BobRiggsTrucking]

Beautiful prose. 🤓

[@AlexanderosD]

Wait, did France honestly pull the "LOL I have his diary! Look at what a goober he is!"?
😅

[@TheManFromWaco]

1) George Washington starts the French and Indian War.
2) The French and Indian War lays the groundwork for the American Revolution.
3) Due to his military record from the French and Indian War, George Washington becomes the commander of the Continental Army.
4) America wins the Revolutionary War.
5) Due to his military record and personal conduct from the Revolutionary War, George Washington becomes the first President of the United States.
That's either one of the craziest series of events in history, or the man was playing 5-Dimensional Chess while everyone else was gnawing on checkers...

[@Nozylatten]

In history 😂😂 America is a baby compared to other nations history.

[@brianpeck4035]

@@Nozylatten...and yet America's government is older than most.

[@brianpeck4035]

.05) George Washington has business interests in the Ohio River Valley.
1) ...by intercepting and killing the leader of a French envoy on their way to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Ohio River Valley issue with representatives of the British crown.
4) The Americans/Washington win the Revolutionary War against the British with the help of the French!
4.5) The cost of the war to the French along with bad weather, crop failures and lack of war debt repayment, leads to the French Revolution.
My key to understanding such conflicts is...to follow the money and identify the enemies/competitors/conflicting interests (within) each side.
After the victories when the histories are written in marble, the Nations represent themselves as having been some kind of unified movement/struggle of great ethical character.
After the French and Indian War, England raised the colonial taxes to pay for the war that the colonies had demanded. When England couldn't sell enough tea because of the competition with the colonial Black Marketeers, they lowered the price. The American Black Marketeers in danger of being undercut, then threw the tea of their competitors overboard.
Once free of England, a financial struggle in the North led to a consolidation of businessmen leading to a monopoly of buyers of Southern raw goods. When the Southern planters realized this, they created their own sellers organization to counter the North. In response, the Northern business organization coerced the Federal government to pressure the Southern planters through targeted laws. The South got "fed" up which ultimately led to the Civil War...or The War of Northern Aggression. The history then turned the Civil War into some kind of unified movement/struggle of great ethical character...to free the slaves.

[@thomasfoss9963]

​@@brianpeck4035Great insight into colonial history, and the real causes leading up to the Civil War---

[@Nozylatten]

@@brianpeck4035 no its not...

[@janehastie3464]

The American Indians living in Ohio and other parts of the country had an absolute right to remain neutral and have their own homelands. In the French and Indian War, George Washington made many mistakes as a Colonel during that time period. When he was Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, he led a campaign in New York City, which ended in a military disaster and the near destruction of the Continental Army. He would continue to lose battles in 1776, 1777, and 1778 because he had no knowledge about planning military operations, strategies, tactics, and training of American forces. He was also a bad choice to be the First President of the United States. He was an active participant in maintaining the greed, violence, and brutality of slavery and wrote The Slave Fugitive Act.

[@thehturt5480]

What is this continuous change regarding the size of the pictures?

[@alphaomega938]

Back then you would not use “native” to describe Indians but rather the nativist Americans

[@bc2578]

Well, nobody back then called them that, lol. Besides, they weren't Americans because we had not permitted them to become citizens, and prior to the winning of the Revolution America didn't exist and there were no Americans. And they also weren't "native" to the Western Hemisphere. They followed trails of buffalo turds here from Asia and got stuck here when the land bridge went under water and they never saw a ship until we showed up.

[@txazfan5049]

You report that higher-ups in Britain looked unfavorably upon young George Washington, because of his actions. What actions? Didn't you also report that he defeated the French [referring to the first encounter with them, not the later loss at Fort Necessity ]? What am I missing?

[@dmeinhertzhagen8764]

The “JU” in Jumonville is pronounced like the “JU” in Julie. Not like the “YU” in Yulia or the “YU” in the Spanish name Julia.

[@jaysmith8347]

Although Washington's first fights with the French & Indians may have provided a casus belli for the coming war, strategically the war was a struggle between the great powers of Europe to establish imperial and commercial dominance on almost every known continent. It involved huge fights in the European heartlands, in India, and in the Caribbean. Europeans call it "The Seven Years War." Never forego a reason to start a soccer riot! 😉

[@davidjohnson6611]

If you look at Washington's War record up until the Battle of Trenton where he crossed the Delaware you would see he'd lost 80% plus of his battles not to mention the states of New York New Jersey Pennsylvania and Massachusetts LOL What made him a great leader was that he was stoic and it is ironic indeed that his own militia during the French and Indian War were drunk at Fort Necessity and malfeasant just as the Hessians were when he crossed the Delaware on Christmas Eve. Washington was extremely strong leader who did not let defeat ruin his desires he stayed strong to the last and of course his men could see this

[@dianakesl1814]

Maybe that's how they were able to go out in the middle of night in freezing temps and not freeze to death. (Russell)

[@breadtoasted2269]

Geez even Gearge betrayed his own allies all around 😮the French the Natives

[@Loarnold]

George Washington is my uncle. I am descended from his brother Samuel through the bedingers.

[@scrappydoo7887]

Your uncle?

[@swhip897]

....😮

[@skogstokig128]

We are related then he's my cousin

[@KilgoreUSA]

Must’ve been inbreeding

[@yuritartid622]

Wouldn't be your uncle

[@C.M.R.Artifacts-qu1ey]

Awesome!!

[@silkkdread]

“Other stories for other times” classic hokc😎🤌🏾 always leave them wanting more lol