Pontiac’s War
Following the disastrous Seven Years’ War, France agreed to quit Canada and leave it to the British, which was not at all what the local tribesmen wanted.
1763-1766
King George III 1760-1820
Following the disastrous Seven Years’ War, France agreed to quit Canada and leave it to the British, which was not at all what the local tribesmen wanted.
1763-1766
King George III 1760-1820
In 1763, King Louis XV promised to leave the Great Lakes to the British, and French merchants duly went away south. The indigenous peoples were dismayed, for the easy-going French had always kept the surly English (and their prices) in check. So when Pontiac, leader of the Ottawas, heard a rumour that the French might return, he decided to help bring back the good times.
AS we have seen, the Indian took full advantage of the competition between French and English traders and played each off against the other. Now, however, French and English rivalry, which had been the life of the trade, was about to disappear. Without French competition, the Indian was compelled to accept such prices as the Englishman would give him.
The disadvantages of this new situation became apparent very early. General Amherst* decided to discontinue the practice, followed by both French and English, of giving presents to the Indians.* Then, too, at the close of the war there had been a rush of English settlers into the valley of the Ohio, and lands were being taken with little regard for the rights of the natives. The Indian pictured a ruthless march of settlement, uprooting him from the ancestral hunting grounds and driving him steadily westward before its relentless advance. He determined to protest against the changed attitude of the English and to protect his lands by an appeal to force.