1.1 Three Flags Over One River
A Fort Necessity Museum Exhibit Panel
In the 1750s, Britain, France, and Native Nations all said the Ohio Country was theirs. How did that disagreement start a war — one that began right here in Pennsylvania?
explain why three different groups all claimed the Ohio Country in the 1750s.
Launch: The Driving Question
Warm-Up ~5 min
Do Now. Look at the map in your head: a river valley with good farmland, a trade route, and a fort everyone wants. Now imagine three different groups each say, “That land is ours.” Write one sentence: what do you think should happen next?
Three groups all claim the same land. What do you think should happen next, and why?
Instruction ~10 min
The Ohio Country was the land around the forks of the Ohio River — the spot where two rivers meet to form a third one. Today we call that spot Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the 1750s, three groups all wanted it.
Native Nations had lived there for a very long time already. Several nations used or lived in the Ohio Country, including people from the Six Nations (Iroquois Confederacy), the Lenape (Delaware), the Shawnee, and the Mingo. For them, this was simply home and hunting ground.
France had explorers and fur traders along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. France wanted the Ohio Country to connect its land in Canada to its land near New Orleans.
Britain had colonies along the Atlantic coast, including Virginia and Pennsylvania. British leaders and land companies wanted the Ohio Country for new farms and trade.
Three groups, one piece of land. In 1754, that disagreement turned into a fight — and the first shots were fired in what is now southwestern Pennsylvania.
Guided Exercises ~15 min
With your table, sort these clue cards: which group (Native Nations, France, or Britain) does each clue describe?
Independent Practice ~10 min
On your own: draw a quick 3-column chart with the headings Native Nations / France / Britain. Under each heading, write one reason that group wanted the Ohio Country.
Closure ~5 min
Exit ticket. In one sentence: why could three groups wanting the same land lead to a war?
Why could three groups wanting the same land lead to a war?