George Washington is a pivotal figure in the start of the French and Indian War in 1754.

George Washington is a pivotal figure in the start of the French and Indian War in 1754, a conflict that pits England's goals for empire in the New World against French interests. Caught in between are the Indian nations, whose leaders struggled to negotiate between these two European forces to protect their own people's interests. Washington becomes an aide to General Edward Braddock, sent from England to secure the strategic Forks of the Ohio. Braddock is defeated by French forces and their Indian allies, and succumbs to his battlefield wounds. Britain sends thousands of troops, setting the stage for the next phase of the war.