. A history of the United States for secondary schools . which ran northwestwardly, instead of duewest (see sect. 3), taking in the territory on which theFrench were now laying hands. That claim had beenstrengthened in 1744 by a treaty, signed at Lancaster,which Virginia joined Maryland and Pennsylvania inmaking with the Iroquois, whereby the latter conveyedall rights belonging to them as conquerors of the tribesof the west. On these grounds, when news of the build-ing of the forts on French Creek was received. GovernorDinwiddle of Virginia made haste to send a warning tothe officer in command
. A history of the United States for secondary schools . which ran northwestwardly, instead of duewest (see sect. 3), taking in the territory on which theFrench were now laying hands. That claim had beenstrengthened in 1744 by a treaty, signed at Lancaster,which Virginia joined Maryland and Pennsylvania inmaking with the Iroquois, whereby the latter conveyedall rights belonging to them as conquerors of the tribesof the west. On these grounds, when news of the build-ing of the forts on French Creek was received. GovernorDinwiddle of Virginia made haste to send a warning tothe officer in command that he had intruded on English THE PERIOD OF STRIFE WITH FRANCE. 141 soil. The message was conveyed (1753) through thewilderness by George Washington, then lately appointedmajor and adiutant-o^eneral of the militia _ ? 1 Washing- forces of Virginia, though but twenty-one years tons of ao:e. Of course, the French officer at Fort intoHis- ^ . tory, 1753. Le Boeuf declined to vacate his post ; and aworking party was then sent out from Virginia, in the. FRENCH POSTS IN THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND AROUND THE GREAT LAKES. spring of 1754, to build an opposing fort, at the junctionof the Alleghany and the Monongahela, where Pittsburgnow stands, while Washington followed, soon after, withtwo hundred men. Before the latter could reach theground the English fort-builders were driven off, and theFrench were continuing the work they had begun. 14- COLONIAL DEVELOPMENT. Washington, moving fonvard, came by surprise on aFrench scouting party and attacked it, killing ten andtaking twenty-one prisoners. This opened the final con-flict which decided that Englishmen and not Frenchmenshould be masters of the destiny of the American back to Great Meadows, and being slightly re-inforced, Washine^ton built a small fort, which Great . Meadows, he called Fort Necessity, and endeavored to 1754. hold his ground against a thousand French andIndians ; but his small force was too poorly
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