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In 1750, frontiersman and surveyor Christopher Gist takes on the ambitious task of mapping the rugged Ohio Territory, which will lay the foundation for British expansion beyond the original 13 colonies. The colossal task requires all of Gist’s wilderness skills and his deft ability to avoid conflict with the Native Americans. Three years later, when French and British ambitions for the Ohio Territory threaten to explode into war, Gist is hired to guide a young George Washington on a diplomatic mission to demand a French retreat from the disputed land. When French forces rebuff Washington’s ultimatum, he asks Gist to take him back to Virginia as quickly as possible with the news. The two men embark on a legendary journey, over 100 miles on foot, through treacherous wilderness that pushes them to the brink of death and bonds them for life. When Gist saves Washington from drowning in an icy river, he unknowingly changes the course of history and preserves the future of a nation.