Fort Duquesne

FORT DUQUESNE, NEW FRANCE
Established: 1754
Established by: France

In the early 1750s, the French constructed a line of forts southward along the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. These rivers converged to form the Ohio River. These waterways were considered strategically important both for the fur trade and for settlement of the area.

Both the French and British were keen to gain advantage in the area. The French claimed the area as their own. As for the Thirteen Colonies, i.e. Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc. Britain had granted them charters to expand westward into the area. The stage was set for conflict.

The Colony of Virginia sent a young officer named George Washington to Fort Le Bouef to protest the French presence. Washington was told to mind his own business. In 1754, the Virginians began construction of Fort Prince George at the convergence (forks) of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. However, a large French force appeared and forced the smaller British group to surrender. The French knocked down the tiny British fort and constructed their own Fort Duquesne at the site.

The French held Fort Duquesne during the French-Indian War and it became one of the focal points of that conflict because of its strategic location. The French repulsed two British attacks—Braddock (1754) and then Grant (1758). The Brits launched a third attack in 1758 and this time they were successful.

FAST FACT
The Forbes Expedition (the name given to the third British strike) did not take Duquesne because the French surrendered. On the contrary, the French themselves burned the fort down and left the area the day before Forbes’ force even arrived. In 1758, the British built a much larger installation at the site and named it Fort Pitt.