Editing George Washington (section)

==Colonial military career (1752–1758)==
Lawrence Washington's service as adjutant general of the [[Virginia militia]] inspired George to seek a [[Commission (document)|militia commission]]. Virginia's lieutenant governor, [[Robert Dinwiddie]], appointed Washington as a major and commander of one of the four militia districts. The British and French were competing for control of the [[Ohio River|Ohio River Valley]]: the British were constructing forts along the river, and the French between the river and [[Lake Erie]].{{sfnm|Anderson|2007|1pp=31–32|Chernow|2010|2pp=26–27, 31}}

In October 1753, Dinwiddie appointed Washington as a [[Diplomatic rank#Special envoy|special envoy]] to demand the French forces vacate land that was claimed by the British. Washington was also directed to make peace with the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] and to gather intelligence about the French forces.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|pp=15–16}} Washington met with Iroquois leader [[Tanacharison]] at [[Logstown]].{{sfn|Rhodehamel|2017|loc=3: War for North America}} Washington said that at this meeting Tanacharison named him [[Town Destroyer|Conotocaurius]]. This name, meaning "devourer of villages", had previously been given to his great-grandfather [[John Washington]] in the late 17th century by the [[Susquehannock]].{{sfn|Calloway|2018|pp=25, 69}}

Washington's party reached the Ohio River in November 1753 and was intercepted by a French patrol. The party was escorted to [[Fort Le Boeuf]], where Washington was received in a friendly manner. He delivered the British demand to vacate to the French commander [[Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre]], but the French refused to leave. Saint-Pierre gave Washington his official answer after a few days' delay, as well as food and winter clothing for his party's journey back to Virginia.{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1pp=15–18|Lengel|2005|2pp=23–24|Randall|1997|3p=74|Chernow|2010|4pp=26–27, 31}} Washington completed the precarious mission in difficult winter conditions, achieving a measure of distinction when his report was published in Virginia and London.{{sfnm|Harrison|2015|1pp=25&ndash;26|Ferling|2009|2pp=15–18}}

===French and Indian War===
{{Main|George Washington in the French and Indian War}}

[[File:French_and_Indian_War_map.png|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Map showing an area of the Northeastern United States from Virginia to Canada|Map showing key locations in the [[French and Indian War]]]]
[[File:Washington the soldier.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Washington on horseback in the middle of a battle scene with other soldiers|''Washington the Soldier'', an 1834 portrait of Washington on horseback during the [[Battle of the Monongahela]]]]
In February 1754, Dinwiddie promoted Washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 300-strong [[Virginia Regiment]], with orders to confront the French at the [[Point State Park|Forks of the Ohio]].{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=31–32|Ferling|2009|2pp=18–19}} Washington set out with half the regiment in April and was soon aware that a French force of 1,000 had begun construction of [[Fort Duquesne]] there. In May, having established a [[Fort Necessity National Battlefield|defensive position]] at Great Meadows, Washington learned that the French had made camp {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} away; he decided to take the offensive.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=41–42}} The French detachment proved to be only about 50 men, so on May 28 Washington commanded [[Battle of Jumonville Glen|an ambush]]. His small force of Virginians and Indian allies{{efn|The word "Indian" was used at the time to describe the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]].{{sfn|Cresswell|2010|p=222}}}}{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=42}} killed the French, including their commander [[Joseph Coulon de Jumonville]], who had been carrying a diplomatic message for the British. The French later found their countrymen dead and [[scalped]], blaming Washington, who had retreated to [[Fort Necessity]].{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1pp=24–25|Rhodehamel|2017|2loc=3: War for North America}}

The rest of the Virginia Regiment joined Washington the following month with news that he had been promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of the full regiment. They were reinforced by an [[British Army Independent Companies in South Carolina|independent company of a hundred South Carolinians]] led by Captain [[James Mackay (British Army officer)|James Mackay]]; his royal commission outranked Washington's and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, 900 French soldiers attacked Fort Necessity, and the [[Battle of Fort Necessity|ensuing battle]] ended in Washington's surrender.{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1pp=23–25|Ellis|2004|2pp=15–17}} Washington did not speak French, but signed a surrender document in which he unwittingly took responsibility for "assassinating" Jumonville, later blaming the translator for not properly translating it.{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1pp=24–25|Chernow|2010|2pp=42–45}} The Virginia Regiment was divided and Washington was offered a captaincy in one of the newly formed regiments. He refused, as it would have been a demotion&mdash;the British had ordered that "colonials" could not be ranked any higher than captain&mdash;and instead resigned his commission.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|p=26}}<ref name=anb>{{cite encyclopedia|doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0200332|encyclopedia=American National Biography|title=Washington, George|last=McDonald|first=Forrest|date=February 2000|authorlink=Forrest McDonald}}</ref> The Jumonville affair became the incident which ignited the [[French and Indian War]].{{sfnm|1a1=Ferling|1y=2009|1pp=19–24|2a1=Ellis|2y=2004|2p=13|3a1=Coe|3y=2020|3p=19}}

In 1755, Washington volunteered as an aide to General [[Edward Braddock]], who led a British [[Braddock Expedition|expedition]] to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the [[Ohio Country]].{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=53}} On Washington's recommendation, Braddock split the army into one main column and a smaller "flying column".{{sfnm|Alden|1996|1p=37|Ferling|2010|2pp=35–36}} Washington was suffering from severe [[dysentery]] so did not initially travel with the expedition forces. When he rejoined Braddock at Monongahela, still very ill, the French and their Indian allies ambushed the divided army. Two-thirds of the British force became casualties in the ensuing [[Battle of the Monongahela]], and Braddock was killed. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[Thomas Gage]], Washington rallied the survivors and formed a [[rear guard]], allowing the remnants of the force to retreat.{{sfnm|Alden|1996|1pp=37–46|Ferling|2010|2pp=35–36|Chernow|2010|3pp=57–58}} During the engagement, Washington had two horses shot out from under him, and his hat and coat were pierced by bullets.{{sfn|Rhodehamel|2017|loc=4: The Rise of George Washington}} His conduct redeemed his reputation among critics of his command in the Battle of Fort Necessity,{{sfn|Ferling|2009|pp=28–30}} but he was not included by the succeeding commander (Colonel Thomas Dunbar) in planning subsequent operations.{{sfn|Alden|1996|pp=37–46}}

The Virginia Regiment was reconstituted in August 1755, and Dinwiddie appointed Washington its commander, again with the rank of colonel. Washington clashed over seniority almost immediately, this time with Captain [[John Dagworthy]], who commanded a detachment of Marylanders at the regiment's headquarters in [[Fort Cumberland (Maryland)|Fort Cumberland]].{{sfnm|Ellis|2004|1p=24|Ferling|2009|2pp=30–31}} Washington, impatient for an offensive against Fort Duquesne, was convinced Braddock would have granted him a royal commission and pressed his case in February 1756 with Braddock's successor as [[Commander-in-Chief, North America|Commander-in-Chief]], [[William Shirley]], and again in January 1757 with Shirley's successor, [[John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun|Lord Loudoun]]. Loudoun humiliated Washington, refused him a royal commission, and agreed only to relieve him of the responsibility of manning Fort Cumberland.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|pp=31–32, 38–39}}

In 1758, the Virginia Regiment was assigned to the British [[Forbes Expedition]] to capture Fort Duquesne.{{sfn|Flexner|1965|p=194}}<ref name=anb/> General [[John Forbes (British Army officer)|John Forbes]] took Washington's advice on some aspects of the expedition but rejected his opinion on the best route to the fort.{{sfnm|Ellis|2004|1pp=31–32|Misencik|2014|2p=176}} Forbes nevertheless made Washington a [[Brevet (military)|brevet]] brigadier general and gave him command of one of the three brigades that was assigned to assault the fort. The French had abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault, however, and Washington only saw a [[friendly fire]] incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured. Frustrated, he resigned his commission soon afterwards and returned to Mount Vernon.{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1p=43|Chernow|2010|2pp=90–91|Lengel|2005|3pp=75–76, 81}}

Under Washington, the Virginia Regiment had defended {{convert|300|mi|km}} of frontier against twenty Indian attacks in ten months.{{sfnm|Fitzpatrick|1936|1pp=511–512|Flexner|1965|2p=138|Fischer|2004|3pp=15–16|Ellis|2004|4p=38}} He increased the professionalism of the regiment as it grew from 300 to 1,000 men. Though he failed to realize a royal commission, which made him hostile towards the British,<ref name=anb/> he gained self-confidence, leadership skills, and knowledge of British military tactics. The destructive competition Washington witnessed among colonial politicians fostered his later support of a strong central government.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=92–93|Ferling|2002|2pp=32–33}}