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Why did France and Great Britain both claim the Ohio River valley?

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Painting of Edward Braddock and British troops in uniform advancing through dense forest, facing Native American and French fighters during the French and Indian War near Fort Duquesne. — French and Indian War British commander Edward Braddock and his troops preparing to march on the French-held Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) during the French and Indian War.

The conflict over the Ohio River valley was rooted in competing imperial claims and the strategic necessity of controlling the North American interior.12

British Claims
Great Britain’s claims were primarily based on early explorations by John Cabot and subsequent royal charters granted to colonial companies, such as the Virginia Company. These charters often included "sea-to-sea" grants, which the British interpreted as encompassing all lands between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. By the mid-18th century, British colonists were actively pushing westward across the Appalachian Mountains, and traders from Pennsylvania and Virginia had established significant economic ties with local Indigenous peoples in the region.13

French Claims
France’s claims were based on the explorations of René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, who in 1682 claimed the entire Mississippi River basin—including all its tributaries—for the French crown. To protect their fur trade and maintain a strategic link between Canada and the Mississippi, the French began a concerted effort to occupy the valley, viewing it as essential to preventing British expansion and securing their own imperial position.13