Fort Duquesne, Pennsylvania – Pittsburg’s Golden Triangle
At the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, where they merge to form the mighty Ohio River, lies a place of profound historical significance: Pittsburg’s Golden Triangle. It was here, in what is now downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that the French established Fort Duquesne in 1754. This strategic location, long recognized for its importance in controlling the Ohio Country, became a focal point of contention between European powers vying for dominance in North America. The story of Fort Duquesne is a narrative of ambition, conflict, and the shaping of a nation.
The roots of the struggle for control of the Ohio Country can be traced back to the burgeoning fur trade of the late 1740s. William Trent, an English fur trader, established a trading post at the headwaters of the Ohio River. This venture quickly prospered, attracting other English traders and raising the stakes in the region. Both the French and the British recognized the immense value of the Ohio Country, both for its rich natural resources and its strategic location. However, the French asserted their claim to the territory, while the British colonies to the east issued land grants that extended indefinitely westward, setting the stage for inevitable conflict. The strategic importance of Fort Duquesne‘s location cannot be overstated.
In the early 1750s, the French actively sought to deny the English access to the Ohio Country. On April 17, 1754, a French military force arrived at the Forks of the Ohio to find a small, poorly supplied contingent of Virginia militiamen and laborers hastily constructing defensive works. The French, under the command of Claude-Pierre Pécaudy de Contrecœur, quickly overwhelmed the outnumbered Virginians, capturing William Trent’s outpost and driving the men away. Immediately, the French began constructing a more substantial fortification, which they named Fort Duquesne in honor of Ange de Menneville, Marquis de Duquesne, the Governor-General of New France from 1752 to 1755.
Fort Duquesne was not merely a military installation; it was a symbol of French power and a declaration of their intent to control the Ohio Country. The imposing structure was designed to impress both the British and the local Native American tribes, solidifying French claims and deterring further encroachment. In addition to constructing Fort Duquesne, the French also seized several other English settlements in western Pennsylvania, escalating the conflict and ultimately leading to the outbreak of the French and Indian War (1756-1763). To further secure their position, the French embarked on a comprehensive fort-building program, establishing a line of fortifications that included Fort Presque Isle on Lake Erie (near present-day Erie, Pennsylvania), Fort Le Boeuf (about 15 miles inland near present-day Waterford), and Fort Machault (on the Allegheny River in present-day Franklin, Pennsylvania).
The British were determined to dislodge the French from the Forks of the Ohio and assert their own claim to the region. They launched two expeditions, the first led by a young George Washington in the summer of 1754, and the second, a much larger force, led by General Edward Braddock a year later. Washington served as an aide to General Braddock during this second, ill-fated expedition. Braddock’s forces were part of a broader British strategy to attack multiple French forts throughout North America simultaneously. Braddock’s plan was to move swiftly through the mountains and strike Fort Duquesne before the French could reinforce their position. He intended to utilize the road that Washington had previously constructed, but the road proved too narrow for the heavy artillery and the large number of men, numbering approximately 2,400. In an effort to expedite the advance, Braddock made the critical mistake of dividing his troops.
As Braddock and the vanguard of his army approached Fort Duquesne, they were ambushed by a combined force of French soldiers and allied Native American warriors. The ensuing battle was a disaster for the British. Braddock, along with more than half of the 1,200 British soldiers who were with him, were killed in the engagement. The remaining soldiers, demoralized and disoriented, retreated in disarray. In a desperate attempt to prevent the desecration of Braddock’s body, the surviving British soldiers buried him near Fort Necessity, concealing the grave by marching over it and using the roadbed to hide the location. Braddock’s final resting place remained hidden for many years until 1804, when workmen unearthed a body that was believed to be that of the general. In 1913, a monument was erected to mark the site of his re-interred remains.
For the next three years, Fort Duquesne served as a crucial base of operations for French-sponsored Native American raids on the Pennsylvania and Virginia frontiers. The British struggled to regain their lost possessions, facing constant harassment and setbacks. Finally, in 1758, a major turning point occurred. On September 14, 1758, the British launched a large-scale expedition, consisting of 6,000 troops led by Brigadier General John Forbes, with the objective of driving the French out of the contested Ohio Country and paving the way for an invasion of Canada.
As part of Forbes’s overall strategy, he ordered Major James Grant of the 1st Highland Regiment to conduct a reconnaissance mission of the area with 850 men. Grant, however, exceeded his orders and launched a premature attack on Fort Duquesne. His force was quickly outmaneuvered, surrounded, and largely destroyed by the French and their Native American allies, who were led by François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery. Major Grant was captured, and the surviving British soldiers retreated in a disorganized fashion to Fort Ligonier, Pennsylvania.
Despite repulsing Grant’s advance party, the French situation at Fort Duquesne was becoming increasingly precarious. Many of their Native American allies, sensing the shifting tides of war and recognizing the overwhelming numerical superiority of General John Forbes’s approaching army, began to desert. The French commander at Fort Duquesne, realizing that he was vastly outnumbered and unable to defend the post, made the decision to abandon it. On November 23, 1758, the French commander ordered the destruction of Fort Duquesne, blowing up the fortifications and retreating northward to Fort Machault. The advancing British troops heard the explosion from ten miles away. Although General Forbes and his troops were denied the prize of capturing the fort intact, they had achieved a significant strategic victory. Upon their arrival at the Forks of the Ohio, they immediately set about constructing a new, more formidable fortification, which they named Fort Pitt in honor of William Pitt, the English Prime Minister.
Fort Pitt remained under British control until the American Revolution, when the colonists seized possession of it. Later, it became an important trading post with the Ohio Country Indians and settlers. As more settlers moved into the area and conflicts with Native Americans escalated, the fort’s garrison played a crucial role in protecting the people moving into the region.
Today, although Fort Duquesne is no longer standing, its legacy endures. The foundations of the fort can still be seen at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The park features a brick outline of the fort’s walls, providing visitors with a tangible connection to the past. The park also houses the Fort Pitt Museum, which focuses on the French and Indian War and the frontier period of local history, offering a comprehensive look at the events that shaped the region. Also located on the property is the Fort Pitt Blockhouse, which was built by Colonel Henry Bouquet in 1764 and is the oldest architectural landmark in Western Pennsylvania. The confluence of the three rivers remains a vibrant hub of activity, a testament to the strategic importance that has defined the region for centuries. The story of Fort Duquesne is a reminder of the complex interplay of power, ambition, and cultural exchange that shaped the course of American history.
