The story of Fort Duquesne (pronounced dookayn) is related to the French and Indian War (1754–63), which was part of a larger conflict known in Europe as the Seven Years' War. Established by the French in 1754, Fort Duquesne's location in the heart of the Ohio River Valley was significant, sitting at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers where they became the Ohio River. At this strategically crucial spot in the Ohio Valley, the French were able to keep the British out of the area while trading with Native tribes of the region.