George Washington’s First Battle at Jumonville Glen Was a Disaster

On Memorial Day weekend, we recall the long train of sacrifices, dating back to the 17th century and continuing to this day, that laid the foundation upon which American society rests. It hasn’t always been glory and victory. Tuesday marks the 270th anniversary of a blunder that set the stage for a humiliating defeat — with vast consequences nobody could have foreseen on May 28, 1754, at what came to be known as Jumonville Glen. Those consequences ultimately included a global war, the American and French Revolutions, and the career of the young Virginian who led the ill-starred expedition: George Washington.

The Unstable Periphery

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Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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George Washington

On Memorial Day weekend, we recall the long train of sacrifices, dating back to the 17th century and continuing to this day, that laid the foundation upon which American society rests. It hasn’t always been glory and victory. Tuesday marks the 270th anniversary of a blunder that set the stage for a humiliating defeat — with vast consequences nobody could have foreseen on May 28, 1754, at what came to be known as Jumonville Glen. Those consequences ultimately included a global war, the American and French Revolutions, and the career of the young Virginian who led the ill-starred expedition: George Washington.

The Unstable Periphery