Who led the expedition across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley in 1716?

The correct answer is the individual who led an important expedition across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley in 1716, which was Alexander Spotswood. He was the Governor of Virginia at the time and played a significant role in the early exploration and expansion of colonial Virginia. Spotswood organized this expedition primarily to promote settlement and trade in the western territories, as well as to assert colonial claims to the land.

This journey was notable not only for its geographic significance but also because it paved the way for further exploration and development of the region, highlighting the ambitions and challenges of colonial Virginia during the early 18th century. Spotswood's expedition is often considered a crucial step in the westward expansion that followed in the years to come.

The other individuals listed were influential figures in American history, but they were not involved in this specific expedition. George Washington had not yet emerged as a notable figure at that time, while Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were prominent later in American history, during the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States, but they did not participate in this specific event.