The Seven Years War of 1756 to 1763 saw the great empires of France and Britain and all their allies fight for control of trade and colonies on four continents. Often called the first world war, it changed the course of history for many nations. Its North American component, the French and Indian War, was a defining moment in American history. For the first time, the British colonies acted together and learned that their interests were not necessarily the interests of the great powers. Colonial leaders like George Washington found that they could lead an army as well or better than the professional British officers, who had little knowledge of warfare on the frontier.
In America the war started early and initially focused on control of the upper Ohio Valley and its key outpost, Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio River. From this base the French and their Indian allies conducted a devastating campaign against English frontier settlements in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. As the conflict intensified, it spread south to the Carolinas and north to New York and the Great Lakes.
The response of the embattled colonists was to greatly expand a 1,000-mile string of frontier forts from South Carolina to Massachusetts, and even into the Ohio Valley. French Canadian settlers added their own forts. In this exceptional volume, the authors bring archaeology to the study of this key conflict. Fifteen noted scholars contribute important articles on a good sampling of these forts and the military strategy they represented. While each was unique, these forts represented the latest thinking in military engineering as adapted to the American frontier. From Fort Prince George in South Carolina to Fort Loudoun in Virginia to Fort Frontenac in Ontario and Fort de Chartes in Illinois, archaeologists are revealing the story of this important conflict.
Long overshadowed by the American Revolution, the 250th anniversary of the treaty ending the French and Indian War has prompted renewed interest as well as preservation efforts. This volume is an important contribution to a field of study that is just taking off. It sets the stage for new investigations of the dozens of frontier forts that remain unexplored.
