Chief Pontiac's War - 1763
Native Americans Valued Liberty Long Before the American Revolution
With the Treaty of Paris, signed at the end of the war, France ignored its North American Allies and divided up the continent without their consent. Most Native Americans still trusted the “great fathers” across the sea enough to give the treaty a chance, but by now they knew to keep their eyes wide open. It didn’t take long for them to realize that no thought had been given to their needs and rights.
Indian Expectations
This society expected the English to continue the custom of lavishing gifts to prove sincerity. This was not unrealistic; they had seen the vast amount of investment in the war and felt that the English were even wealthier than the French. They were unaware that the English “wealth” had been mostly managed credit. What these indigenous folks did not expect to see was the British occupation of the string of French forts that taken. This, along with the fact that Great Britain had virtually cut off their supply of powder and lead, convinced them that what the Redcoat said and did were two different things.
The British had some unmet expectations of their own. Military Governor Jeffery Amherst did not see a reason for negotiations. Subjugated people who lost a war were to be just that, subjects! London fully expected that with the war’s conclusion, expenses would fall. Amherst operated under the philosophy that it was his duty to help these conquered people learn to be responsible citizens who stood on their own and contributed to the Empire. These ancient inhabitants, who had never even considered this kind of obeisance to the French, could only conclude that this new English father wanted to make them slaves.
Famine, Disease and an Indian Prophet
To strike the flint over the extremely dry tinder of rebellion two things occurred. One was nature; famine and disease rampaged through the Indian population creating fear and discontent. Secondly, a Native American prophet named Neolin preached the powerful message that the children of the Great Spirit Father needed to forsake the white man’s way of life. They were expected to purify the hallowed ground that their Father had given them with the blood of the white man. The great Indian Ottowa Chief Pontiac believed Neolin's message and issued this challenge:
“It is important for us, my brothers, that we exterminate from our lands this nation which seeks only to destroy us. You see as well as I that we can no longer supply our needs as we have done from our brothers, the French. The English sell us goods twice as dear as the French do, and their goods do not last … and they do not want to give us credit as our brothers, the French, do.” - Ottawa Chief Pontiac
Indian Rebellion
In short order Pontiac was able to organize the Native North Americans as never before. They swept down in coordinated attacks and seized no less than 10 forts in the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Illinois territory and Pennsylvania. They laid siege to Forts Detroit, Pitt and Niagara; all in the same summer. London hurried to finalize legislation that would ease the violence. On October 7, the Proclamation of 1763 set the boundary between Colonial and Native Americans as the line traversing the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. This, along with a wavering commitment to the Indian Union brought about the Treaty at Fort Niagara that ended the rebellion. However, this Act of Parliament proved to be a major reason for the American Revolution just 12 years later.
Sources
The Scratch of a Pen 1763 and the Transformation of North America by Colin G. Calloway. 2006, Oxford University Press
The Journal of the Siege of Detroit in 1763, edited by Milo Quaife, 1958. R.R.Donnelly
Artist's Impression of Chief Pontiac
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The Extent of Chief Pontiac's Influence
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