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The War That Made America P1 - A Country Between | French and Indian War | George Washington |
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this program is made possible by
richard king melon foundation the heinz endowments
national endowment for the humanities
[Music]
gentlemen a declaration
by the representatives of the united
states of america
when in the course of human events
it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bonds which have
connected them with another
we hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal in nature
that they are endowed by their creators [Music]
[Music]
to secure these rights governments
are instituted among men and that all
political connection
between them and the state of great britain
britain
is and not to be totally dissolved
and for the support of this declaration
it's one of the great ironies
of american history the man
who led the revolution nearly lost his life
life
fighting for that same british empire 20 years
on the eve of battle george washington
i did not let the anniversary of this
month pass without a grateful remembrance
remembrance
and on the banks of the monongahela
that was the war that made him the
leader he was
there was nothing heroic about the
to be fair washington is only 22.
ambitious and a little naive he doesn't realize
realize
he's about to become a pawn in a chess
game he doesn't understand [Music]
[Music]
they are here washington's orders
are to drive the french from this
contested part of the frontier
he doesn't know these french soldiers
the eager young major doesn't take the time
time
to find out what the french are after fire
fire [Music]
[Music]
it's george washington's first taste of battle
battle
i can with truth assure you
believe me there was something charming
the retreat cut off by washington's
indian allies
their officer sits wounded this is
insane josephus
he's an envoy here's a letter from his commander
commander [Music]
under the protocol of the day washington
is responsible for the well-being of the
wounded frenchman
but he soon realizes that this deep in
the woods
different rules apply
it turns out this indian leader known as
within minutes the half-kings warriors
plunder the french camp
scalping the dead and wounded before
the massacre is not an outcome
washington expected
nor could he have foreseen the consequences
this incident will trigger an all-out
war for north america
that soon spreads around the world
we call it the french and indian war
this is the story of a war that helped
create a new nation
no one could ever have predicted
this is the story of the war that made america
america [Music]
to understand how young george
washington could set
such momentous events in the motion we
have to go back in time
before he blundered into battle and see
how the stage had already been set for [Music]
[Music] war
war [Music]
[Music]
spring 1752 two years before
george washington's battle in the woods
speculators from washington's native virginia
virginia
are coming to pennsylvania to negotiate
with the region's indians for land
they're after a foothold in one of the
in the 1750s britain holds the east coast
coast
while canada and the mississippi valley
are dominated by the french
between those two empires lies a giant prize
prize
called the ohio country a region the
size of france
both france and britain set their sights
on one spot in particular [Music]
[Music]
a strategic river junction called the
forks of the ohio
where pittsburgh stands today [Music]
[Music]
but the force of the ohio isn't theirs
for the taking
the native people consider this their
land and not something that can be
traded or sold [Music]
but there is one indian leader in the
region who is willing to talk
the half-king the same man who will play
such an important role in george
washington's life
don't ever forget that any sign of friendship
friendship
that we make to the english will not
escape the french
but the french seem weak
while the english traders give us goods
when our hunters
bring the skills in native tradition
women elders provide counsel for
for the half king the stakes in this
upcoming negotiation
couldn't be higher
most of the region's indians prefer the french
french
but if the british offer him generous
trade goods to distribute among these people
people
an alliance with britain could put him
in a position of power
it's a dangerous gamble but the half-king
half-king
has few options
these people are refugees who have been driven
driven
out of their homelands in the east by
tribal wars
and european settlers diseases have
now three thousand of them have made the
ohio country
but with the french encroaching from the north
north
and the english from the east the half
king knows
why are they firing nothing to fear it's
it's when they fire their guns at the
end of the power that you need to worry
between indians and whites are a fact of
frontier life [Music]
trade goods grease the wheels
the virginians have brought a small fortune
fortune [Music]
[Music]
the items are more than just gifts
native people rely on european goods for
providing a steady supply of these necessities
necessities
will go far towards securing indian allies
and then there is wampum crucial to any parley
parley
intricately woven belts and strings
encoded with
until there is a ceremonial passing of
the wampum
when it came to winning favor with the
ohio valley indians
the british had some catching up to do
years of land swindles had left native peoples
peoples
suspicious of british motives [Music]
[Music]
the french on the other hand had traded
with the indian nations and fought beside
beside
indian warriors for more than a century
so for the visiting virginians this parlay
parlay
was more than just closing a land deal
it was about winning these people over [Music]
[Music]
the half king is playing a delicate
diplomatic game between the british and
the french
and to make it more complicated he's not
altogether his own master in this negotiation
negotiation [Music]
[Music]
the half king and his people are one of
many indian groups
and they are far from the most powerful [Music]
[Music]
the dominant force in the northeast is
the iroquois league
a coalition of six nations spread across
northern new york
the iroquois claimed sovereignty over
the ohio country and all the indians who
technically they haven't authorized the
half-king to make an agreement with the british
british
so if he goes ahead and does it anyway
he'll be asserting his independence from
in fact he's called the half-king
because of his limited authority
but if he can strike a good deal with
the british at this parlay
it could make him a leader to be
brethren be assured
that the king our father in purchasing
your lands
the way it is with the indians there
will be much talk and even more giving
of gifts before the meat of the matter
kindly accept this belt
as a symbol of our two peoples
living together as one
the talking goes on for more than a week
finally the half king agrees to let the
virginians build a small trading post at the
the
forks with the two european empires
encroaching on the ohio country
the half king has chosen what seems the
best of two
bad options
the french claim all the land on one
side of the river
and english claim everything on the other
if that be the case i ask
we live in a country between
and therefore the land belongs to
neither one nor to the other
but the great being above allowed to be
a place of residence
so the virginians leave the parlay
having secured the half king's support
he will back the english over the french
and he will allow the virginians to
return the following year
to build their post at the forks of the
ohio river
the full effects of the half-king's decision
decision
won't be felt for years to come
and one thing is certain the french
are not about to give up the forks
one look at the map shows why
the french already control canada and
the great lakes region
by building a string of outposts through
the ohio country
they could link their french forts in
canada with their louisiana colony
and keep the british bottled up on the
east coast
memorandum by the marquis de la galissianer
galissianer
[Music]
if the rapid progress of the english
colonies be not arrested
they will possess in a short time
formidable armaments on the continent of america
and if that happens warns the marquis
then all the other french colonies will
fall to the british as well [Music]
[Music]
legella senier was a visionary
he saw that the struggle for north
america had global implications
if the french lost france would be
weakened in europe as well
for britain the stakes were just as high
if it allowed france to dominate the
ohio country
the british colonies could never expand westward
westward
so british authorities send an
expedition to order the french to
withdraw from the ohio country
the man they picked to lead it none
other than the 21 year old virginian
george washington [Music]
washington is a natural choice brimming
with ambition
imposingly tall he is well connected and
washington draws his own map of the
journey that will take him
past the forks of the ohio to fort labouf
labouf
near lake erie a 500-mile journey
that gets underway just as winter sets in
in [Music]
[Music]
along the route washington comes to a
french base [Music]
[Music]
the officer in charge gives a warm
welcome to the young virginian
but the french make it very clear they won't
won't
that night he invited us to sup with them
soon the wine which they dosed
themselves with freely
[Music]
with utmost charm the officer lets him
know the sentiment among the french in
the region
they told us that it was their absolute
design to take possession of the ohio
and by god they would do it
for though the english could raise two
men to their one
they knew our actions were too slow
brushed off by the french washington
starts back to virginia in december 1753.
1753. [Music]
[Music]
his report on the mission goes all the
way to london
where king george ii hears of the young
virginian who had done his best
but failed to persuade the french to
the following spring the virginians take
up the half-king's offer to build a
trading post at the forks of the ohio
but it's not to be almost
immediately french troops forced the virginians
virginians
to surrender the forks and abandon their
by taking the forks the french have
humiliated him
and the inability of the english to
fight back makes him look like he's backed
backed
the losing side he calculates how to get even
even [Music]
[Music]
it's the young george washington who unwittingly
unwittingly
offers him that chance
that's how washington came to ambush the french
french
that same spring of 1754
washington is on his way back to the
forks with orders
to help the virginians finish their
trading post
when he learns he is too late
he makes plans to confront the french
and take the forks back
the half king agrees to be his ally
but washington doesn't realize that the
indian leader
if the king orchestrates a confrontation
between the british
and the french it will strengthen his
own hand
in the region
but why does the half-king go further
it's an act of revenge for his
humiliation at the
and he knows the blame will fall on
george washington
you are not dead yet my father says the half-king
half-king
an ironic twist to the respectful term
the indians
washington's skirmish alone probably
but the cold-blooded murder of their
wounded officer
the french couldn't possibly let that go
within weeks the brother of the slain
ensign jumanville
meanwhile washington has withdrawn his
they build a crude stockade that the virginians
virginians
washington expects the half-king to help
but the indian leader has lost
confidence in the young major
this washington he is a good-natured man
but he has no experience always driving
us to fight
now he wants us to make a stand with him
against the french [Music]
[Music]
we have no choice we will make our stand here
the french have no such problems with
their native allies
they arrive accompanied by 100 shawnee
about nine o'clock on the third of july
the enemy advanced with shouts and
dismal indian yells [Music]
[Music]
washington intends to fight face to face
in the field
european style but the french and their
indian allies
don't cooperate [Music]
[Music]
hey then from every little rising tree
bush stump and stone kept up a golden
constant fire which we returned as best
till late in the afternoon when there
fell the most tremendous
it filled our trenches with water and
wet not only
the ammunition and the fire locks but
also the few stores that we had
defense [Music]
[Music]
[Music]
when the french commander offers terms
for surrender
unable to read french he relies on a
dutch officer to translate [Music]
[Music]
it turns out that juneville's brother is
washington doesn't learn until later
that the document
includes a confession to the
[Music]
the morning after the battle the
victorious french
allowed washington to retreat towards
virginia with his wounded and tattered troops
troops
word of his defeat spread quickly this
was not the kind of fame the young washington
washington
had been seeking the date oddly enough
[Music]
the defeat at fort necessity proves
disastrous for the half-king as well
any clout he has among the region's indians
indians
has now evaporated [Music]
a delaware chief described the uncertain situation
situation
things seem to take another turn he said
and a high wind
[Music]
as war clouds gather the powerful
iroquois league
[Music]
if they take sides in this white man's war
war
there's a good chance they will find
themselves fighting against other indians
but if they remain neutral there's also
the chance
either france or britain will take
possession of the ohio country
and if that happens the iroquois could
end up
with nothing at all
for more than 100 years the native
people of the northeast
have deftly played britain and france
against each other
but now the swelling imperial ambitions
of the europeans
across the atlantic in the palace of versailles
versailles
louis xv and his ministers spend the
winter of 1755 preparing to defend their
by the time the ice has melted on the
saint lawrence river
eighteen hundred french troops have been
king george ii and his ministers in whitehall
whitehall
move even faster
one thousand redcoats sailed to virginia
in early spring of 1755 [Music]
[Music]
the british plan is to strike the french
in the ohio country
and simultaneously in northern new york
and nova scotia a three-pronged attack
that will drive the french back into canada
canada
war is now inevitable
first the troops i have the honor to
command will take fort decay
and thereby remove the french from the
forks of the ohio
second it's an audacious strategy
in keeping with the commander-in-chief
sent by london to carry it out
general edward braddock a politically
connected career officer
once we have secured this important post
we shall proceed to niagara
if the season will permit and i suppose
it will
for this ducane can hardly detain me
fort duquesne braddock's first objective
is held by the french and their indian allies
allies
it stands guard at the crucial force
controlling all traffic through the ohio country
country
to assault it is an ambitious plan
as i was saying gentlemen but before he
even begins
the general runs into political problems
and he has given me braddock expects the
colonies to help pay for this
military campaign but the governors of
the colonies reply that their assemblies
would prefer to be asked not ordered
peace gentlemen you cannot tell me you
have not the power to
make these little assemblies do the
king's will the matter is urgent there
is no time to be lost
i need not remind each of you that this expedition
expedition
is an expensive enterprise
i cannot sufficiently express my indignation
indignation
against the provinces of pennsylvania
and maryland who refuse to contribute anything
anything [Music]
[Music]
as for the indians these savages may
indeed be a formidable enemy to
raw american militia but it is
impossible they should make any impression
impression
braddock's march against fort duquesne
gets off to a slow start
the army waits at fort cumberland maryland
maryland [Music]
[Music]
as in every army of the time female camp
followers are a semi-official
close to 200 women serve as laundresses
cooks and nurses [Music]
[Music]
betsy when your husband's regiment went
into battle
was you ever frightened
for yourself i mean what if the enemy
was to come up from the rear
to say i never was with the troops in an
actual battle i shouldn't worry about
anything like that here
the sergeant says that we outnumber the
froggies and as for them indians
but everyone knows they can't fight in
any manner that will prevail over all
trained soldiers the sergeant says
general braddock don't even want them
savages fighting on our side that's how
little he thinks of him don't
talk to me about general braddick you
did here didn't you betsy
he's ordered all us women going up
country with the army to be examined for
disease by the surgeons
to see if we're clean enough to march
well it's an insult for
certain i'm a married woman not a [ __ ]
general braddock names george washington
one of his chief aides
though it's not an official british commission
commission
washington jumps at the opportunity to
serve alongside the highest
ranking british officer on the continent
men are looking very good indeed
the general orders daily parade ground exercises
exercises
georgio banettes
but about one-third of braddock's army
are american provincials
untrained enlistees from virginia maryland
maryland
and pennsylvania braddock pronounces them
them
it isn't only the drilling that's
severe punishments for even small infractions
infractions
provide a closer look into the army
under king george
than many americans have seen before [Applause]
at night the indians living near the
fort put on demonstrations for the
dances that suggest the fighting style
[Music]
the soldiers now know what the famous
indian war whoop
the americans encouraged braddock to
court indian allies
but the general scorn shows all but
[Music]
in june of 1755 braddock's march to the
ohio country
a long thin column of wagons artillery
horses and camp followers four miles [Music]
[Music] long
it's a logistical feat that only the
british would attempt [Applause]
[Applause]
marching an army through 100 miles of
dense forest
steep mountains and muddy river crossings
after a week they have gone only 22 miles
frustrated by the slow progress braddock
splits his force
and takes an advanced column of 1400 men ahead
it is washington's third adventure into
the ohio valley
this time he hopes to finally drive the
french out
the main body of the army escapes any
others aren't always so lucky
english messenger james smith is
captured far from the column
and taken to the french fort duquesne
move as fast as you can [Music]
running the gauntlet is customary for
all indian captives [Music]
[Music]
smith is turned over to the french he'll
wait to see
whether the english will ever arrive at
the fort [Music]
[Music]
after three grueling weeks the british army
army
finally approaches the monongahela river
just a few miles south of fort de caine
morel is high [Music]
[Music]
general braddock has led his army nearly
100 miles
these engineers built log roads to cross
the swamps
a company of sailors rigged block and
tackle to hoist the heavy cannon over
the worst is behind them
once they reach the fort nothing can
stand in their way [Music]
it is my hope that this evening we will
be drinking a toast
[Music]
braddock has succeeded in transporting a
modern army
and its artillery deep into the wilderness
wilderness
washington is impressed this is the kind
of british officer the young virginian
indian scouts working with the french
keep a close watch on the approaching [Music]
army
when word reaches fort duquesne of the
advancing british column
the french realize their only hope is to
ambush the british
as they cross the monongahela river
but their indian allies bach unwilling
to take on the large enemy force [Music]
[Music]
the french captain leonardo de
beaujolais dons indian war dress and
paints his face
a gesture of solidarity the british
[Music]
[Music]
at the front of the british column
george croin
a pennsylvania trader leads the seven
remaining indian scouts
moving quickly the last few miles toward
captain beaujo's force of nearly 900 indians
indians
canadians and french regulars moved just
as fast toward braddock's column
it's impossible to say who is more
surprised when they encounter each other
the elite british grenadiers move [Music]
bonjour leads the warriors and canadians
into the woods
in the beginning it looks as if the
highly disciplined british will prevail
but once the indians and canadians slip
into the hills on either side of the british
british
everything changes
washington and the other officers
struggle to keep their men
the french regulars are deployed in
front of the british column
blocking any forward movement
while the indians and canadians snipe at
the british start to fall back but on
the narrow forest road
they collide with the troops behind them
deadly tangles of redcoats mass together
the artillery proves useless in the
permit the virginians to fight as the
enemy does we know the indian
it doesn't take long for the attackers
to reach the rear
[Music]
it is said that of the 54 women who
marched with braddock's army that day
only four returned [Music]
some of the missing would turn up in
canada ransom from the indians
by the french [Music]
[Music]
after three harrowing hours it's over
the french and indians have lost only 21 dead
dead
while nearly a thousand british and
provincial soldiers
washington has had several horses shot
out from under him
but is unhurt what's left of braddock's army
army
the shocking scenes which presented
themselves in this night's march
the dead the dying the wounded
the groans the lamentation the cries of
the wounded for help along the road
the folly and consequence of opposing
compact bodies against the manner
of the indians fighting in the woods
which had in a manner been predicted
word of the great indian and french
victory reaches fort duquesne
british prisoner james smith reported
at sundown i beheld a small party coming
i stood on the fourth wall until i
beheld them
begin to burn one of these men
they had him tied to a stake and kept
instead he will be adopted by an indian family
family
to replace kin who have died in battle
he will spend the next six years living
the french know they owe this victory to
their native allies
the indians gather the honors of battle
to bring home
evidence of their great feat [Music]
in european warfare the victors might
have pursued the fleeing british to
crush them all together
but here in north america the native
they're not fighting to secure an empire
they're just trying to drive the invaders
invaders
five days into the retreat general braddock
braddock
dies of his wounds
at an encampment near the great meadows
the brave
but unfortunate general braddock
breathed his last [Music]
he was interred with the honor of war
and it was left to me to see that performed
he was deposited in the road
over which the army wagons and all passed
passed
to hide every trace lest the entombment
be discovered [Music]
[Music]
george washington would admire
braddock's battlefield bravery
the general's brass-barreled pistol and
bloodied sash
would hold a place of honor at mount [Music]
for years after the battle of the
monongahela visitors here would come
across the unburied bones of british
and american soldiers but empires don't come
come
cheap both britain and france
would pay dearly in blood to win a prize
as huge as north america
this was just the beginning neither side
had any idea how
costly this war would be or how many
battles there were
still to lose [Music]
next time on the war that made america
britain must overcome a devastating defeat
defeat
while young george washington defends a
violent frontier
for france victory is in sight if they
can keep their
indian allies the war that made america
it's not the war you think it is [Music]
[Music] so
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music] hey
hey [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
hey [Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
a [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
for more information about the series an
interactive timeline of the war
historians commentaries and classroom activities
activities
this program was made possible by
richard king mellon foundation
national endowment for the humanities
and the following [Music]
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