Out of Necessity: George Washington's Surrender of Fort Necessity to the French

History celebrates George Washington as the leader of the American Revolution and the father of his country. But what is rarely mentioned is Washington's life as a twenty-two-year-old colonel that led four hundred Virginia militiamen against a bigger, more experienced French army and paid a high price. Not only did Washington lose over a third of his men, but the Battle of Fort Necessity was also the spark that ignited the French and Indian War. As a result of this incident, Washington was ...