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Rivalry Between the French and English
In the 1700s, Britain and France were leading the European powers. They competed for wealth and land. Rivalry grew stronger when both countries wanted to own the land that was the Ohio River valley. This land was rich in resources. Both the countries viewed the land as theirs. The French enjoyed fur trading with Native Americans. They didn’t want to share this business with the British. -
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Fort Duquesne
To protect their claims on in the valley, the French built a chain of forts from Lake Ontario south to the Ohio River. The British responded by building a fort, too. Before they could finish, the French sized them and called the fort Fort Duquesne. In 1754, Virgina’s governor sent a militia lead by Geogre Washington to drive out the French. Washington set up a small fort of his own once there.(Fort Necessity) Soon, the French and Natives drove out the British and forced Washington to surrender.