New-York Gazette – April 7, 1755

In 1755, before a formal Declaration of War, the British planned aggressive operations in America, many at the hands of Major General Edward Braddock, who served as commander-in-chief for North America during the French and Indian War. The front page of the April 7, 1755 New-York Gazette features a proclamation inviting American colonists to enlist and fight in the French and Indian War — “for the Service and Defence [sic] of his Majesty’s Colonies in North-America.” Soon after this issue was printed, in late May 1755, General Braddock set out from Maryland on his expedition to capture French Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh). Only a couple months into his expedition, Braddock was mortally shot during the Battle of the Monongahela. This issue of the Gazette also contains a report from Boston that “his Excellency set out for Annapolis in Maryland, to hold a conference with General Braddock.”