05/28/2026
Who's this guy in the wig?
Though he might look a bit like J.S. Bach, he was actually the lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1751 to 1758. Robert Dinwiddie doesn't have the most illustrious career or story. However, he's been cited as giving George Washington his military start.
The French and Indian War was mainly fought between the British and the French with various Indigenous allies on both sides. In a way, the war was not only about territorial expansion but about trade, natural resources and commodities that could be gained and sold. For most of the war, it seemed the French had the upper hand; however, the colonists, with help from British regulars, finally won in 1763.3.. of Jumonville Glen, which he lost.)
The French and Indian War was mainly fought between the British and the French with various Indigenous allies on both sides. In a way, the war was not only about territorial expansion but about trade, natural resources and commodities that could be gained and sold. For the majority of the war, it seemed that the French had the upper hand; however, the colonists with help from British regulars finally won in 1763.
Much of the fighting occurred in Canada and the northern British Colonies, as well as in naval battles in the Caribbean, but Washington's participation has taken on a sort of legendary air to it.
What if Dinwiddie hadn't liked Washington, or given him the assignment? It is interesting to wonder whether Washington would have become the Commander of the Continental Army or the first American president if not for this early military participation.
Wars are not just a bunch of battles between a start date and an end date. They are made up of people, places, cultures, ambitions, personalities and tools. Next time you consider some guy in a wig, take a bit more time to observe the various layers of their story.
