Pitt-Greensburg president gives lecture at area museum
Imagine a time when southwestern Pennsylvania was covered with virgin forest. Imagine when Indians were the largest group of people who resided here. It is hard to believe that this wilderness was a prize coveted by two superpowers-the British Empire and the French Empire. This was the theme of a recent lecture delivered at the West Overton Museum by Dr. Frank Cassell, president of the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg campus, titled “The French and Indian War in Southwestern Pennsylvania from 1754-1763.”
The French and Indian War begins as a power grab by both the French and British empires. Both empires wanted control of the Ohio River Valley, the origin of which is in modern-day Pittsburgh.
At that time, Cassell explained, the British live primarily along the coast, while the French settled further west. Although the British settlers are greater in number, the French empire in North America was more vast, stretching from Montreal to New Orleans.
The French want to build a barrier to keep the British on the eastern side of the Allegheny mountains, first to shorten travel time between Montreal and New Orleans and also to secure for themselves the abundant natural resources of the Ohio Valley.
For this reason, they begin an aggressive campaign to claim the Ohio Valley for France. First, they set up a series of lead plates. Seeing that these plates were not enough, they begin building a series of forts that stretched from Erie to the “forks,” or as locals now call it, “The Point” in Pittsburgh.
Alarmed by growing French power, the British send an envoy of men, including George Washington, to demand that the French leave the valley. The French respond by building Fort Duquesne, and successfully and non-violently send the envoy packing. They retreat to the area known as the Great Meadows, now known as Jumonville, where the British build their own fortification – Fort Necessity.
Cassell pointed out that there is nothing new about this clash of empires. Britain and France had butted heads many times before. The big difference in this case, he said, is that for the first time, the colonists are at the center of the power struggle. “For the first time,” Cassell said, “the American colonies were the center of world attention.”
He also said that American colonists were starting to develop their own identities and their own commercial interests. “Southwestern Pennsylvania was a part of Virginia at that time,” he said. “Many Virginians wanted that land for tobacco plantations. Also, many Native Americans resented the growing encroachment upon their land.”
At Great Meadows, Washington clashes with a band of French soldiers, led by Ensign de Jumonville, who is killed by Washington’s Indian ally, Half-King. The French trick Washington into signing a document stating that Washington assassinated Jumonville. This report reaches both London and Paris. The clash of the empires is on.
At this point, Cassell said, the French have the upper hand in the struggle to gain control of the Ohio Valley. The British, due to a combination of weak leadership, mediocre military and few allies amongst the Indians, were in a weak position. In 1755, the British dispatch Gen. Edward Braddock to evict the French from the Ohio Valley. Braddock lands in Cumberland, Md., and proceeds to build a road to the Ohio Valley. Just before the army reached the Ohio, they run into an Indian ambush, during which Braddock was mortally shot in the chest.
Having lost its commander, the British army is now in tatters because the Colonial frontier now is wide open to Indian attack, with many people fleeing back to the coast. By all counts, the British Empire in America is collapsing.
With the election of Prime Minister William Pitt in 1758, the balance of power shifts again. Unlike his predecessors, Pitt recognizes that this war is not based in Europe; it is American. Pitt is able to mobilize his forces and his resources, and intends to drive the French out of North America altogether. Engineer John Forbes helps the British army make a new road leading to the Ohio Valley. This time, the road contains systematically placed fortifications. At last, the British succeed in forcing the French out of Fort Duquesne, which is promptly renamed Fort Pitt. The British have won, for now.
Cassell explained that the British victory came with a huge price tag, for the British now found themselves with an even bigger empire than they had had before. This empire had to be financed, and so the series of taxes – stamp taxes, tea taxes – began. The Colonists soon revolted against England. Cassell stated that many members of the revolutionary army were veterans of the French and Indian War and were well schooled in guerilla warfare. He said also that many people who were comrades before were enemies now. “Had it not been for the American Revolution,” said Cassell, “the French and Indian War would have a far more significant place in American history.”
Cassell hails from Gary, Ind. After completing his undergraduate work at Wabash College, he earned his master’s degree and his doctorate in history from Northwestern University. He taught history for 24 years at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. In 1997, he became the president of the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg campus.
Cassell discovered his love of history early on. “I’ve always been fascinated with the origins of the American Republic, especially its political origins,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of writing about political parties that evolved out of that era.” Cassell focused a lot on early American politician and Revolutionary War veteran Sam Smith, who originally was from Carlisle, but fled to Baltimore, Md., to escape the Indian uprisings. He became a successful businessman and a major architect of Thomas Jefferson’s Republican party.
“We are blessed to live in a region that is so rich in history,” he said. “I want to promote a greater public understanding of the history that we have.”