Welcome!

If you are looking to learn more about Virginia’s frontier and the French and Indian War, then you’re at the right place!

Mission  Statement:

“Winchester’s French and Indian War Foundation preserves and interprets the colonial history of Virginia’s frontier”.

Goals:

• Raise public awareness about the French and Indian war and its consequences through public lectures and tours, as well as publication in the media.

• Collect and conserve primary documents relating to the war

• Identify, document, preserve, and interpret French and Indian War era landmarks in the back country of the mid-Atlantic colonies

• Cooperate with privately and publicly owned French and Indian War fort sites, battlefields, and other historical sites in research, promotional, and preservation activities.

Foundation Activities:

Please take time to visit our Events Page to learn more about up-coming events. (All events are family friendly…  it’s even possible that George Washington himself may make an appearance!) 

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Winchester’s French and Indian War Foundation exists to “preserve and interpret” the colonial history (with an emphasis on the years of the French and Indian War (1754-1763)). We host educational and community events year-round, providing opportunities for students, the general community, and tourists alike, to learn about this important period of our history.

We are thrilled to have a number of highly recognized historians and reenactors as a part of our membership…all of them interested in sharing their knowledge with you, a vital task for keeping this history alive for future generations. (Not to mention it’s just plain fun and interesting info to learn!)

In fact… did you know that:

• The French and Indian War is the common U.S. name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America  from 1754 to 1763? The name of the war simply refers to the two main enemies of the British: the royal French forces and the various Native American forces allied with them.

• In 1756 the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years’ War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war?

• In Canada, it is usually just referred to as the Seven Years’ War, although French speakers in Quebec often call it La guerre de la Conquête (“The War of the Conquest”)?

• That many refer to the war as “The War That Made America” because it was a period that set in motion forces that would culminate in the American Revolution?   It began in the wilderness of the Pennsylvania frontier and spread throughout the colonies, into Canada, and ultimately around the world!

• That the following image is the earliest authenticated portrait of George Washington ?    It shows him wearing his colonel’s uniform of the Virginia Regiment from the French and Indian War (this portrait was painted years after the war, in 1772).

We encourage you to continue looking around our website – there’s lots of additional educational information as well as information on the foundation itself and how you can become involved. Whether actively joining us, or supporting the cause through one-time or recurring donations, we’d love to have your support!