What Would George Celebrate?

Today is the 250th anniversary of George Washington's surrender at Fort Necessity, a defeat that led ultimately to British victory in the Seven Years' War and, as historian Fred Anderson argues, paradoxically, to the American Revolution. From Professor Anderson's op-ed:

"The 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Necessity reminds us that imperial victories can endanger the victor as much as the vanquished. Success in the Seven Years' War convinced Britain's leaders that their nation possessed the world's greatest military power. From that accurate perception, they drew the fatal inference that they had nothing to lose by using force against colonists whose genuine affection for British institutions, rights and liberties had hitherto constituted the empire's strongest bond."

Professor Anderson is the author of
Crucible of War, which is, by thoughtful accounts, a compelling narrative history of the Seven Years' War.