News Release

Commemorative observance of the first shots of the French and Indian War

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NPS

News Release Date: May 16, 2024
Contact: Brian Reedy, [phone]

Farmington, PA- On Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, 2024, Fort Necessity National Battlefield will host a living history program recreating camp life near the reconstructed Fort Necessity to observe the 270th anniversary of the Jumonville Affair. Volunteers, staff and living historians will portray members of the French and British armies as well as Native Americans who served at the Great Meadows in 1754.

On both Saturday and Sunday, ranger led programs will occur at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.  in the meadow with each program concluding with period weapons firing demonstrations.  On Tuesday, May 28 at 7 a.m., a park ranger-led walk will start from the Jumonville Glen parking area and highlight the historical events of that fateful morning.  

"The skirmish at Jumonville Glen marked George Washington's first combat experience leading to a series of events culminating with the battle at Fort Necessity." said Fort Necessity National Battlefield Superintendent Stephen M. Clark. " A fifteen-minute fight in southwestern Pennsylvania truly impacted the world." 

Programs will take place rain or shine, and visitors are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. On May 25 authors Robert Dunkerly and Jason Cherry will be signing copies of their books at the Fort Necessity National Battlefield visitor center. Following the book signing at noon, author Robert Dunkerly will have a presentation on his book The French and Indian War in Western Pennsylvania in the theatre at the Fort Necessity National Battlefield Visitor Center. 
 

NPS 

Fort Necessity National Battlefield   
Fort Necessity National Battlefield is a unit of the National Park Service and the site of the opening battle of the French and Indian War that ended with the removal of French power from North America. National Parks are protected by the Archaeology Resources Protection Act. For more information about Fort Necessity National Battlefield, visit nps.gov/fone or call 724-329-5805. 
   
About the Jumonville Affair   
Jumonville Glen is a section of Fort Necessity National Battlefield. At dawn, May 28, 1754, three cultures clashed at Jumonville Glen. This skirmish began the seven-year French and Indian War. Virginia provincial troops under the British flag, commanded by 22-year-old Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, were led to the glen by Natives from Seneca, Oneida and other allied Tribes to the unsuspecting French camped there. For nearly fifteen minutes the glen was filled with gunfire. In the aftermath, a global war ensued.   

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