The French and Indian War was originally waged by France and England primarily for control of the region known as the Ohio River Valley. The Ohio River Valley was a land filled with fur-bearing animals and abundant resources. Both English and French settlers wanted to colonize it to make fortunes in the fur trade. The Ohio River, formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers at present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, runs through the valley.

As French settlers descended upon the region from Canada, and English settlers came from Virginia, territory disputes were inevitable. Neither side was willing to compromise, as each believed they had rights to the land. These disputes led each side to try to force the other out. In 1754, the French and Indian War began when English soldiers under the command of George Washington attacked a French scouting party, killing ten, in what came to be known as The Battle of Jumonville Glen.