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Lord William Pitt, 1st earl of Chatham, for whom Pittsburgh is named.Lord William was the father of Prime Minister Pitt. In 1778 Pittcollapsed in the House of Lords while delivering a speech opposingAmerican independence.

The area surrounding the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahelarivers was claimed by both the British and the French. On therecommendation of George Washington, who had visited here in 1753, adetachment of Virginia militia occupied the area at the fork of therivers in 1754 and started to construct a fort. Less than three monthslater they were attacked by a force of French and Native Americans andwere compelled to withdraw. The French soon completed the constructionof the fortification, calling it Fort Duquesne. In late 1758 a Britishexpedition led by General John Forbes moved against Fort Duquesne.Forbes occupied the site only after the French had destroyed the fort.A temporary fort was built and subsequently was replaced by a largerand more permanent fortification (1761). The structure was named FortPitt in honor of the then British Prime Minister, William Pitt.