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The point where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers merged to form the Ohio River was long seen as important for controlling the Ohio Country, both for settlement and for trade. Englishman William Trent had established a highly successful trading post at the forks as early as the 1740s. Both the French and the British were keen to gain advantage in the area. In the early 1750s, the French enganged in constructing a series of forts, starting with Fort Presque Isle on Lake Erie near present-day Erie, Pennsylvania, followed by Fort Le Boeuf , about twenty miles inland near present-day WaterfordWaterford is a borough located in Erie County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 1,449. Geography Waterford is located at 41°56'37" North, 79°59'2" West (41. 943648, -79. According to the United States Census Burea, and Fort Marchault , on the Allegheny River in Venango CountyVenango County is a county located in the U. State of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population is 57,565. Its county seat is Franklin 6. Geography According to the U. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,769 km² (683 mi²). 1,748 km² (675 mi²) o in present-day FranklinFranklin is the name of some places in the U. state of Pennsylvania: Franklin, Cambria County, Pennsylvania Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania.. Lieutenant Governor of the Virginia ColonyThe Virginia Colony refers to the English colony in North America that existed during the 17th and 18th centuries before the American Revolution. The name "Virginia" is the oldest designation for English lands in North America. At first the term applied t, Robert DinwiddieRobert Dinwiddie ( 1693 July 27, 1770) was a British colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758, first under governor Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and then, from July 1756 to January 1, saw this as threatening to the extensive claims to land in the area by Virginians (including himself).

In late autumn 1753Events January 1 Britain and its colonies adopt the idea that 1st January should be New Year's Day, following adoption of the Gregorian calendar in September 1752. The concept was first conceived in 1582, but suffered from slow public adoption. April 5 Fo, Dinwiddie dispatched a young George WashingtonGeorge Washington ( February 22, 1732— December 14, 1799), also called Father of his Country 1 was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 1783) and later the first President of the Unite to the area, both to conduct surveys and to present a challenge to the French presence. Washington reached Fort Le Boeuf in December and was politely rebuffed by the French. Following Washington's return to Virginia in January 1754, sent VirginiaVirginia is one of the original 13 states of the United States that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution and is generally classified as part of the South. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Virginia it is one of four Commonwealthns to build Fort Prince George at the forks. Work began on the fort on February 17 and Washington, who had been promoted to Lt. Colonel, left on April 2 as part of a small force with the dual purpose of constructing a road and defending the fort upon their arrival. By April 18, a much larger larger French force had forced the English to abandon work on the fort, which was then completed by the French and named it Fort Duquesne in honor of Marquis Duquesne, the governor-general of New France. Washington was at Wills Creek in south central Pennsylvania when he received news of the surrender of Fort Prince George.

On May 25, Washington assumed command of the expedition upon the death of Colonel Fry. Two days later, Washington encounters a French scouting party near a place known as Great Meadows (several miles southeast of present-day Uniontown). Washington attacks the French, some of whom escape, and then orders construction of Fort Necessity in that location. On July 3, the French forced Washington to surrender Fort Necessity but allowed Washington and his men to return without their armaments.

The French held Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War, and it became one of the focal points for that war because of its location in disputed territory. The French held the fort successfully early in the war, turning back the Braddock Expedition led by General Edward Braddock. Three years later on November 25, 1758, the Forbes Expedition under General John Forbes captured the site after the French destroyed Fort Duquesne the day before. The British rebuilt the fort and renamed it Fort Pitt.

The Fort was located where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio, at the part of downtown Pittsburgh now known as Point State Park or "the Point".