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THE JUMONVILLE INCIDENT
Washington at Fort Necessity

by Jeff Fortney and Nicolas W. Proctor

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Young George Washington is Outfoxed by the French and Their Indian Allies

It is the early 1750s in North America. Constant struggles between the British and French empires draw in colonists, indigenous populations, and other European powers. Now, a new flashpoint has developed for this rivalry: the Ohio Country. Control of the sources of the Ohio River offer both sides significant strategic advantages; the area has been a buffer zone between the two empires. A tenuous peace had existed because of complex webs of alliances, but now, encroachments have caused rampant intrigue and mistrust among the colonists and natives on all sides. The Jumonville Incident, and thus the French and Indian War, is about to begin. In this microgame, students will take on the roles of figures from all factions in this contested event. The game focuses on debates around differing interpretations of the incident, along with such questions as: who shot first, what were the intentions of the French, and how responsible were Washington's actions as a commander?

ABOUT THE GAME

Details

Disciplines
History

Sample Class Titles
U.S. History to 1877; Colonial America

Themes and Issues  
Colonial frontier; Close text reading; Colonialism


Era 
18th Century

Geography 
North America

Notable Roles

Primary Source Highlights

Level
Short Game Under Review

Player Interactions

Mechanics

Chaos and Demand on Instructor

Using the Game

Class Size & Scalability
This game is recommended for classes with 18-25 students. 

Class Time
For this game, 1 setup session and 2 game sessions are recommended. 

Assignments
The first learning objective of the game is to improve player use of primary source documents. It does this by giving them experience reading multiple historical documents that describe the same series of events in different ways. The second objective is to encourage students to reflect on the ways that the information in these documents can be combined into written narratives that may have divergent meanings. 



GAME MATERIALS

Reacting Consortium members can access all downloadable materials below. You will be asked to sign in before downloading.  

Please fill out the Permissions Request Form before using The Jumonville Incident in your class!

Gamebook

All students need a Gamebook, which includes resources and historical content. Members can download the Gamebook, and provide it to students for free or at cost.

Instructor's Manual

The Instructor's Manual includes guidance for assigning roles, presenting historical context, assignments, activities and discussion topics, and more.

Role Sheets

Students also need a Role Sheet, which contains biographical information, suggestions for further reading, and role-specific info or assignments.  


Not A Member But Still Interested?


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jeff Fortney

Jeff Fortney is Assistant Professor of History and History MA Program Coordinator at Florida Gulf Coast University. His research and teaching areas include US history with a focus on Native American, African America, and Civil War history. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from University of North Texas and a PhD from University of Oklahoma.


Nicolas W. Proctor

Nicolas W. Proctor grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. After completing his B.A. in history from Hendrix College, he received an M.A. in Diplomacy and International Relations from the University of Kentucky, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from Emory University. He is now a Professor of History at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he has also served as department chair and director of the first-year program. Proctor is also the Chair of the Reacting Editorial Board, overseeing game development. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with his family, a print shop, lots of books, five chickens, and too many Legos.

After completing a traditional historical monograph, Bathed in Blood: Hunting and Mastery in the Old South, he reoriented his research to fit the needs of a teaching institution and focused on writing historical role-playing games.


QUESTIONS

Members can contact game authors directly if they have questions about using the game. We also invite instructors join our Facebook Faculty Lounge, where you'll find a wonderful community eager to help and answer questions. 


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