French Dominion
From 20th Century History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio by Hon. William A. Rockel
Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., 1908
These acts of La Salle and De Bienville by methods acknowledged by the civilized world at that time, gave France a lawful dominion over this great northwest. The inhabitants of the colonies, however, were not unmindful of the fertility and value of this country. The trading territory offered by the fur bearing animals that inhabited southern Michigan had not escaped the notice of the Dutch trader. With characteristic determination push he was constantly widening his territorial claims in the direction of this French dominion.
The Iroquois Indians, while perhaps never in actual possession of much of the territory of Ohio and the Northwest, yet claimed title to all that country. This tribe of Indians had in 1684 at Albany placed themselves under the protection of King Charles, and in 1726 they conveyed all their lands in trust to England to be ]3rotected by that government. This gave a ground of contention between the English and the French settler. Beginning at the trading post of Pickawillany, it was continued with French success in the memorable defeat of General Braddock at Ft. Pitt in 1753, and was crowned with English triumph on the heights of Abraham in the battle of Quebec, September 13, 1759, between the English general Wolfe and the French General Montcalm. By the treaty of 1763 the king of France renounced all pretension which he had to such territory and ceded all his rights thereto to the British crown.