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Timeline: George Washington and the French Just Seven Years Later

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Timeline: George Washington and the French Just Seven Years Later Part B: Becoming a Leader T he conflict that Americans call “the French and Indian War” played a GOALS pivotal role in the life of George Washington. As Washington himself In Part B recalls in his “Remarks,” his experiences were dramatic and life-changing. students will: At the beginning of the conflict, Washington was an inexperienced Expand young officer. Just a year later, he was acclaimed a hero after the Battle knowledge of Washington’s of the Monongahela, or “Braddock’s Defeat.” young adult years By reading the “Remarks,” written when Washington was in his fifties, students will visit key moments in Washington’s life during the Examine Washington’s French and Indian War. They will see Washington as a widely known role in pivotal events of the military officer devoted to furthering his reputation and serving his French and country, England. They also will see a man who suffered both defeat Indian War and glory and who matured during this time. The war laid the Explore foundations for the person George Washington would become: family Washington’s reactions to key man, farmer, visionary entrepreneur, statesman, general, and first experiences as president of the United States. described in the “Remarks” Analyze historical For Part B, Level One use to speculate on how different he seems in the Resource Pages 9–11 and two images. Ask them to imagine themselves perspective as Images 2, 7–10 on the in each situation. Tell the class that they are reflected in a CD-ROM. going to find out what it was like to be in memoir that battle scene; they’ll see how far away the soldier was from the boy who worried about Answer Level One (Grades 4-6) fleas and lice! the Focus Question: How Getting Started 2 To prepare students for this “close up” did Washington’s study of Washington’s experiences, either 1 experiences in To visualize how George Washington teach or review the subject of the French and changed as he grew up, ask students to the French and Indian War, using your text or other Indian War compare the picture of Washington as a classroom resources. young surveyor (Image 2: Washington as a prepare him for Young Surveyor) with a painting of him in 3 As an additional resource on the war and his role as a the Battle of the Monongahela (Image 7a: Washington, distribute Resource Page 9: military leader? Washington at the Battle of the Monongahela) Timeline: George Washington and the French just seven years later. Remind students of and Indian War. Suggest that students use the how young Washington is in both scenes (16 timeline as a mini-biography that will provide and 23 years old respectively) and ask them background knowledge to the readings. 15 Part B: Becoming a Leader Reading and Reflecting The excerpts in Part B come from At the Start of War the manuscript historians call the 1 Explain that on May 28, 1754, George “…from 1754 to “Remarks.” The “Remarks” were Washington and his men were involved in a 1759, minor skirmish with the French in the woods written by Washington when he Washington near Great Meadows, Pennsylvania. It was spent the bulk of was in his fifties, shortly before during this skirmish that the first shots of the his time west of he became the country’s first French and Indian War were fired. Tell the the Blue Ridge, president. The manuscript consists class that Washington believed the French leading a series would counterattack and so, out of necessity, of expeditions of comments about a biogra- he had his soldiers erect a protective into the Ohio phical manuscript submitted to stockade, which he called Fort Necessity. Country that him by his close friend David Show students Image 8: Fort Necessity Today, served as crash explaining that this re-creation from a film Humphreys. Washington intended courses in the shows George Washington in front of a art of soldiering. his comments for Humphreys’ reconstruction of the fort on the original site. They also eyes only. Be sure that students Discuss with students what kind of provided him understand that the “Remarks” protection they think this would have with a truly provided. (Based on the photograph of the searing set of are a primary source, as much as reconstructed Fort Necessity, students should see personal experi- a personal letter or journal entry. that the fort was hastily erected and would ences that have offered little safety.) shaped his basic outlook on the 2 Tell students that in early July the French world.” did counterattack, and Washington found Joseph J. Ellis, 4 Invite students to continue to add to and himself involved in the first major battle of His Excellency, change entries on the Who Was George the war. This was also Washington’s first true George Washington? chart, which they began in battle experience, and the first time he was in Washington Part A. command. Washington did not emerge a victor or hero. Instead, he was defeated by 5 Tell students that they are going to learn, the French and their Indian allies and forced in Washington’s own words, of his first to surrender. So that students can visualize experiences in defending his country. Note the scene, distribute or display Image 9: The that in a little more than 20 years, George Battle at the Great Meadows, which shows Washington would be the most important Robert Griffing’s painting “A Charming Field Part A: military leader in America. Post the Focus for an Encounter.” Level One Question for this investigation: How did 3 Distribute copies of Resource Page 11: Level Two Washington’s experiences in the French At the Great Meadows, 1754 and tell students Making and Indian War prepare him for his role Connections as a military leader? that they are going to hear Washington’s own recollections of this battle. Provide some Part B: background on the “Remarks” (see boxed Level One text above, and page 30 in this Guide) before Level Two students study the adapted version. Ask Making students to imagine being there as you read Connections 16 Part B: Becoming a Leader the excerpts aloud to the class. Then have ~Why did Washington surrender? (He saw students work in pairs to answer the Guided no signs of improving his situation. The soldiers Reading Questions. were out of supplies and food, and a large number of officers and soldiers were killed or 4 Copy the sequence below so that students Artist Robert wounded. Washington appears realistic rather Griffing took the can follow it as they reread the account. than desperate.) Display or distribute Image 10: Map of the title of his War at the Forks of the Ohio, 1754–1758, so ~What kind of leader does Washington painting from that they can track the actions on the map. appear to be? (Washington described himself as Washington’s the brave, aggressive leader at the beginning of comment that Sequence Chart: the confrontation. He and his men attacked the Great and were successful, forcing the French to Meadows was • Troops marched from Winchester, Virginia, gather all their forces and counterattack. It was “a charming toward the Forks of the Ohio. not until Washington found himself in an field for an encounter.” • Washington learned that the French had unfortunate location and plagued by heavy taken Fort Duquesne (the post at the meeting rains that he had to surrender, according to his of the Forks of the Ohio). account. Washington accepted responsibility for Explain that the troops’ actions and their predicament, and Washington for • Washington’s troops fell back to the Great the most part Meadows. in doing so showed leadership qualities.) describes • On May 28, they skirmished with a party of ~Do these excerpts change your image of himself in the French soldiers sent out from Fort Duquesne. Washington? (In revealing the “ups and third person downs” of the encounter at the Great Meadows, • Washington’s troops built Fort Necessity. (“he”) in the Washington appears human. Not everything “Remarks,” • The French attacked on July 3. came easily to him. He also appears to be a because he was compassionate leader. Washington recognized • There was heavy rainfall. responding to a defeat, acknowledging that many of his men biography • The French offered terms of surrender. had been killed or wounded and that they written in the could not have survived much longer.) • Washington accepted terms of surrender. third person. • Next morning (July 4) Washington and troops retreated. 5 After students have read the excerpts, pose the following questions for discussion. Ask students to cite evidence in their answers and to keep in mind the Focus Question. ~According to his “Remarks,” how did Washington feel about his situation at the Great Meadows? (Washington reported the details about the battle unemotionally, in a matter-of-fact manner. He appears to believe that he did the best job possible. Before the rain, he said, his men were capable of defending the fort. Remind the students that Washington was jotting down notes here, concerned with This record of the First Virginia Regiment, written in April 1771, lists the officers and men in the regiment before the recording his impressions of the battle.) Battle at the Great Meadows in 1754. 17 Part B: Becoming a Leader The Young Hero Defeat” and make sequence charts of the 1 Explain to students that after the battle at excerpt’s account. Charts should include: Fort Necessity, George Washington hoped to improve the status of his soldiers, the SEQUENCE CHART Virginia Regiment. He wanted his colonial • Washington resigned from military, then troops to become part of the regular British volunteered for the Braddock campaign.
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