A Brief History of Pittsburgh, PA

The first Europeans arrived in the 1710s as traders. Later in 1717 the European traders established posts and settlements in the area. In 1749, French soldiers from Quebec launched a serious expedition to the forks in hopes of uniting French Canada with French Louisiana via the rivers. However, Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia had sent Major George Washington to warn the French to withdraw. During 1753-1754, the English quickly built Fort Price George, but a larger French expedition forced them to evacuate and built Fort Duquesne on the site. These events led to the French and Indian War. British General Baraddock's campaign was sent to take Fort Duquesne and failed, but a year later General John Forbes' subsequent campaign succeeded. After forcing the French to surrender Fort Duquesne in 1758, he ordered the construction of Fort Pitt, named after British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder. He also named the settlement between the rivers "Pittsborough".