ANP Fort Necessity Series

In the wilderness of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, colonial troops commanded by 22-year-old Colonel George Washington were defeated here on July 3, 1754.

The battle marked the opening of the French and Indian War and was Washington's only military surrender.

The engagement at Fort Necessity also opened a global conflict called the Seven Years War. France and Great Britain, the two most powerful countries at that time, vied for colonies in North America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Philippines. In North America, both France and Britain built alliances with the American Indians through trade and treaties. The war ended in 1763 with British domination over the French colonies.