Joseph Coulon de Jumonville

In the following four paragraphs, I will show important information about Joseph Coulon de Villiers, who actually came to be known as Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, as he was the one who made the name Jumonville famous throughout the New World, France, and Britain.

Personal Information

Joseph Coulon de Villiers (better known as Joseph Coulon de Jumonville) was born in 1718 in Vercheres, New France. He was the son of Nicolas-Antoine and had two brothers named Louis and Francois. He grew up in Fort St. Joseph and had started serving in the army at age fifteen. Joseph, Louis, and Francois all served in the French military(under the command of his father). Joseph Coulon de Villiers actually had three names by the time he died: his real name; Joseph Coulon de Jumonville(which was used so that he wouldn't be mixed up with his brothers); and the final name, Sieur de Jumonville(1+2).

Accomplishments

As said before, under his father's command, Joseph Coulon de Villiers began serving in the french army at the age of fifteen. He had been an ensign, the lowest level of officer in the infantry, which wasn't very impressive, compared to his brothers, who were much higher in the army than him(by rank)(2).

Important Life Events

An important life event for Joseph Coulon de Villiers was when Controcoeur decided to put him in charge of thirty men to find and warn any and all British troops to either leave or be forced to. De Villiers, however, stayed in the same spot for over two days, making no attempt whatsoever to deliver Controcoeur's message, and was spotted by George Washington's troops and shot, this starting the Seven-Year-War between the french and the British(1+3).

Impact on Future Canadians

When Joseph Coulon de Villiers died in 1754 at age 36, the French claimed that the British had seen their soldier and had shot first, though the British argued that when the French had seen them, they rushed to their guns and had taken the first shot in attempt to catch the British by surprise. This is seen as the spark that brought the hostilities between the French and the British to a head(3).

I hope you enjoyed reading and learning more about Joseph Coulon de Villiers, 'The man who started a war'.