Celoron's Expedition
Warren, Warren County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In 1749 a French force under Celoron de Blainville entered the Ohio valley by way of Chautauqua Lake and Conewango Creek. A lead plate was buried at the mouth of the Conewango claiming the area for France.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1749 a French expedition led by Céloron de Blainville pushed into the Ohio Valley by way of Chautauqua Lake and Conewango Creek, part of France's effort to secure its claim to the vast interior. At the mouth of the Conewango his party buried an inscribed lead plate asserting French sovereignty over the region. The gesture was a prelude to the imperial contest that would soon erupt as the French and Indian War.
Why it matters
Céloron's lead plates dramatized the collision of French and British ambitions in the Ohio Valley that ignited a war reshaping the future of North America.
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Related people
- · Céloron de Blainville
Related events
- · Céloron Expedition of 1749
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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