considered subjects of Great Britain. In order to make good their claims to the disputed territory, the English organized

and the Monongahela rivers, for the purpose of trade and colonization. The company at once sent out explorers and prepared to take possession of the upper Ohio valley. The French promptly resolved to stop the movement. They buried leaden plates, inscribed with the claim of France, along the Alleghany and Ohio rivers, to the mouth of the Great Miami and began a new line of forts, including Presque Isle, Le Boeuf, and Venango, which extended from Erie on Lake Erie to the point where the Alleghany and the Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio, the present site of Pittsburg. This point, located at the head of inland navigation, was, with good reason, styled the "Gateway of the West." Both parties understood the advantage of controlling it; both were determined to seize and fortify it.

Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia alarmed at the activity displayed by the French, sent to Fort Le Boeuf George Washington, a young Virginian, to inform the French commander that he was building on English territory and would do well to depart peaceably. Washington returned from his perilous journey with a refusal from St. Pierre, the French commander. The Ohio Company now began to build a fort at the "Gateway of the West." The French drove them off and erected Fort Duquesne. Washington was sent with a small force to intercept the progress of the French, but was defeated. Being forced to surrender at Fort Necessity (July 4, 1754), he returned to Virginia.

200. The Albany Plan of Union. For the first time we find all the colonies working together. A convention of the northern colonies met at Albany, at which Benjamin Franklin proposed a union of the colonies under a president appointed by the crown and a council chosen by the people. His plan of action, however, was rejected by the king as well as by the colonists.

Franklin, who was a delegate from Pennsylvania, prepared and printed in his "Pennsylvania Gazette," a device which

represented the thirteen colonies in the form of a snake cut in pieces, with the motto "Unite or Die."

201. War Declared. The defeat of Washington at Fort Necessity practically began the struggle between France and England in America, but war was not formally declared between the two nations until the spring of 1756. France now sent over the distinguished Marquis Montcalm to take command of her forces. On the part of England, the war on both sides of the ocean was skillfully managed by one of the greatest statesmen the world has ever seen, William Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham. He not only furnished the American army with money and competent

commanders, but also managed to keep the main strength of France busily engaged in the European struggle while English fleets were attacking her and English armies were driving her from both America and India.

LOUISBURG

202. Five Points of Attack. The physical features of the country and the situation of the French clearly indicated five points of attack: Acadia and Louisburg, Duquesne, Crown Point and Ticonderoga, Niagara, and Quebec. All of these points finally yielded.

203. Acadia and Louisburg. Acadia was inhabited by peaceful Catholic peasants. England had guaranteed them the free exercise of their religion and the privilege of not bearing arms against their French countrymen in Canada. They refused to take the oath of allegiance to England, because this would deprive them of these two privileges. The English forthwith resolved to expel them from the country, which cruel. measure was successfully carried out. Longfellow relates the sad story of these unhappy exiles in his "Evangeline."

Forces under Generals Wolfe and Amherst took Louisburg after a severe bombardment and this made possible a naval attack on Quebec.

204. Fort Duquesne. This fort was the key to the West, and its capture by the English was therefore important. This "Gateway of the West" was at first unsuccessfully attacked (1755) by a combined English and colonial force under General Braddock. Braddock was a brave officer, but he was utterly ignorant of Indian warfare, and too conceited to take any advice from those who were skilled in it. Despising Washington's suggestions, Braddock ordered his army to march on with drums beating and flags flying. The savages never met an enemy in open battle, but fired at him from behind rocks, trees, and bushes, being always on the alert to take him unguarded. Thus Braddock blundered into a French and Indian ambush near Fort Duquesne and his army was cut to pieces. He himself was numbered among the seven hundred slain. Total destruction of the army was averted only by the skill of Washington. A second expedition led by General Forbes, with Washington in command of the Virginia troops, captured the fort (1758). The name of the post was changed to Pittsburg in honor of William Pitt, the prime minister of England

205. Crown Point and Ticonderoga. These two strongholds, controlling the route to and from Canada, left New York as well as New England exposed to French invasion. The first expedition against Ticonderoga, in command of General Abercrombie suffered a disastrous defeat owing to the inefficiency of its commander, who tarried in the rear while the battle raged in front. One year after the disgraceful defeat of Abercrombie a large army of English under General Amherst compelled the French to evacuate both Ticonderoga and Crown Point.

In 1757 Montcalm had swept down from Canada and captured the British fort, William Henry, at the head of Lake

George. He promised the British troops that he would safeguard their retreat to Fort Edward, but on leaving the fort, the English troops were attacked by the Indians. Some sixty or seventy were massacred despite Montcalm's attempts to restrain his savage allies.

206. Fort Niagara. This fort, situated on the portage between lakes Erie and Ontario, protected the great fur trade of the upper Lakes and the West. It finally surrendered to

the English under Sir William Johnson, who was aided by his friends, the Iroquois Indians.

207. The Fall of Quebec. Quebec, the, strongest fortification in Canada, controlled the navigation of the St. Lawrence and largely decided the possession of that province. This last and most important point, commanded by the able General Montcalm, was finally captured by the gallant General Wolfe after a desperate battle.