Hello and welcome to a history of the United States. Episode 105, Oswego.

In our last episode, we focused on the wider events around the Seven Years' War.

We looked at how war broke out in Europe when Prussia attacked Austria, and we went over

events in India as the third Carnatic War got underway, and then we finished off by looking at Pitt's rise to power,

ending up with him in control of the government as Secretary of State for the Southern Department,

leaving day-to-day administration in the hands of the Lord of the Treasury, the Duke of Devonshire.

While all of this is important for the story, and very interesting as well, we did get away

from our main focus, North America, to which we shall now return.

We last spent time in North America back in episode 102, Monongah Gahela, in which we looked at the disastrous campaigns

of 1755. The British campaign in the Ohio was a disaster as Braddock was killed and his force

destroyed. The second in command, William Shirley, abandoned his open campaign as he lacked money, and the

French force were being strengthened with reinforcements from Europe.

The only positive had been William Johnson's campaign with the Mohawks against Fort St. Frederick.

The British didn't actually do anything against Fort St Frederick, because it was that sort of year,

but they managed to secure an area on the south side of Lake George, founding the fort William Henry.

Reports from America during 1755 made their way back to London, in which William Johnson,

among others, denounced surely for his poor command skills and his meddling in Indian affairs.

Halifax, ever the support of centralisation, recommended this new commander-in-chief

be sent to the colonies, with a rather expensive set of reinforcements, funds for provincial

troops, and a centralised storehouse for provisions. This was ignored, although William Johnson

was given his own Royal Commission as

Colonel of the Six Nations. Fox and Cumberland proposed an Indian superintendent for the

...