Brandt Garner
Prof. Beurtheret
History 1700
Document Analysis
Articles of Capitulation The Articles Of Capitulation was written on July 3rd, 1754 at 8pm, in an area in present day Western Pennsylvania. This area was known at the time as the Ohio Valley and was an area that was in dispute by the French and English. French Canadian military Captain, Louis Coulon de Villers, composed the Articles Of Capitulation. This document was written in the aftermath of a short one-day battle, in which Coulon had surrounded Washington’s Fort Necessity, and subsequently asked for the surrender of the Virginian troops led by George Washington. Although Washington agreed to the terms of this peaceful surrender, the document was written in French and …show more content…

Although he was to blame for the misinterpretation of the the word “assassin,” in these articles, in his time the use of the word was used in military parlance, was not that of a dastardly or prowling murderer, but rather that of a soldier who attacks suddenly without warning. (Wiki)

In conclusion, this document served for much speculation and upheaval between the French Canadians and English in which some believe sparked the Seven Years’ War. The debates over who started the conflict that killed Jumonville and who actually killed him have been debated since 1974. There is contrary evidence on both sides of the argument, that each have laid claim to. Although the promise of releasing the two French officers was never met, the two “English” captains found there way back home to eventually join the English forces. Its in my opinion or hunch, that the French were sent to set up the camp by Jumonville, to spy on the English forces. Which Washington saw as a threat, so he took them out. If Louis Coulon truly believed that his brother was assassinated, I don’t think he would have given Washington a chance to surrender. This was truly a fascinating story of events that took place around this time of The Articles of Capitulation at For of Necessity. It certainly did have an effect on what was to come in the subsequent years and served as a great lesson for the first defeat of the great George Washington.

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