the french and indian war officially started in 1754.
when did the french and indian war officially start?
1754
in 1750 virginia planters and english merchants established a trading house and small storehouse on land which is now the heart of cumberland. the new trading post (later called fort cumberland) attracted the french, who moved south and west from their lake ontario forts, drove out the english traders and claimed the ohio river valley for france. in 1753, with tensions running high between the french and english, the governor of virginia sent a small company led by a young virginian named george washington to inform the french to leave english territory and return north. the french ignored washington's warnings, and he returned to virginia. in the spring of 1754, colonel washington returned to fort cumberland, this time with more men. pushing north from cumberland towards the forks of the ohio river where pittsburgh is now located, washington's force (about 230 men) encountered 600 french and 100 indians soldiers. an inexperienced 22-year-old, washington did not withdraw, but instructed his men to build a fort, which he grimly named "fort necessity." on july 3, 1754, the french and indian war officially began when both groups attacked the fort. washington, completely surrounded and one third of his men killed, surrendered. washington and his remaining troops were allowed to retreat (without their weapons) and returned to fort cumberland. with the loss of the ohio river valley, fort cumberland became the primary staging and supply point for the british on the colonial frontier.
history of cumberland, maryland
during the period when simon girty lived with them (1756–1764), guyasuta and the ohio seneca fought in many battles against the british in the french and indian war. guyasuta was instrumental in defeat of major james grant at the battle of fort duquesne on september 14, 1758. the french and indian war officially ended in 1763, but hostilities between the indians and the british continued in pontiac's war. guyasuta and the ohio seneca were allied with pontiac, and fought the british alongside his warriors at the july 1763 siege of fort pitt, the july 31, 1763 battle of bloody run, the august 5–6, 1763 battle of bushy run, and the september 14, 1763 devil's hole massacre (the deadliest engagement for british soldiers during the war). it's unclear if simon girty fought along with guyasuta in this war.
simon girty