|
|
Pontiac,
Native
American chief (1720?-1769)
Chief
of the Ottawa people and
leader of the confederate tribes of the Ohio Valley
and Lake Region against the British in 1763-1765.
Culver
Pictures
|
Pontiac,
the chief of the Ottawa, united indigenous peoples
in the Great Lakes region and in the Ohio and
Mississippi river valleys in an effort to drive
white settlers out of the area, and in so doing,
to restore their autonomy. During the French
and Indian War (1754-1763), Pontiac led
his confederation to fight on the side of the
French against the British. In 1763 he began
a two-year siege, known as Pontiac's War, against
British garrisons in the region, which ended
in his surrender in 1765.
|
He
distinguished himself in the French service at an
early age and is said to have led the warriors of
his own tribe against the British army officer Edward
Braddock in 1755. With the object of driving the
British from their frontier possessions and reestablishing
Native American autonomy, Pontiac organized a confederacy
that embraced virtually all the tribes from the
head of Lake Superior almost to the Gulf of Mexico.
According to the arrangement the warriors of each
tribe, on a concerted day, early in May 1763, were
to attack the garrison in their immediate neighborhood.
Pontiac himself was to lead the assault at Detroit.
In
the great wilderness extending from the Pennsylvania
frontier to Lake Superior were 14 British posts,
of which the most important were Fort Pitt, Detroit,
and Mackinaw. The Native Americans captured all
but four of the posts, Niagara, Pitt, Ligonier,
and Detroit. Mackinaw was taken by a stratagem,
and the entire garrison was killed. A plot for the
capture of Detroit seems to have been betrayed to
the commanding officer by a Native American woman,
and failed, but Pontiac at once began a siege that
lasted for five months. Reinforcements finally succeeded
in entering Detroit; Pontiac's men began to desert
him, and the news of the signing of a peace treaty
between France and Great Britain removed all hopes
of French aid. Pontiac thereupon raised the siege
and on August 17, 1765, entered into a formal peace
treaty, which he confirmed at Oswego in 1766. Three
years later he was murdered by a member of the Illinois
tribe.
"Pontiac
(Native American chief)," Microsoft® Encarta® Online
Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
© 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
|
Pontiac
Pontiac
was an Ottawa, born about
1720 in the Detroit area. His mother was a Chippewa
and his father an Ottawa. He was raised as a member
of his father's tribe. Although little is known about
his early years, as a member of the Ottawa, he probably
traded with the French fur-traders who were in the
region. By 1755, Pontiac had become a chief.
Pontiac
was part of a group of Indians that met with Colonel
Robert Rogers, a successful and well-respected British
commander, after the defeat of the French in Canada
to formally meet with the British. At the meeting
he acknowledged King George III as an uncle, but insisted
that they both had equal status as leaders.
Pontiac
was not happy with the way the British were treating
the Indians and wanted to force the British to stop
letting white settle in the area west of the Appalachian
mountains. To reach his goal, Pontiac began organizing
many Indian tribes together to reach this goal. Pontaic's
message of united Indian resistance was accepted among
many groups, including the Delawares,
Hurons, Illinois,
Kickapoos, Miamis,
Potawatomies, Senecas,
and Shawnees. The Ottawas
and Chippewas were also a part of this united effort.
After a final council in 1763, warfare began.
The
Indians had success waging war on frontier settlements
that were not protected. The British also had many
small forts on the frontier that were easily overcome
by the Indians. Many British soldiers were killed
in the attacks. The Indians attacked Fort Detroit
and Fort Pitt but were unsuccessful in capturing the
forts. The Indians were counting on French support
against the British in order to take these two forts.
The French support never came. As winter was getting
close, may of the Indians who were fighting were concerned
about their families and went home to take care of
their families. Smaller battles continued for several
years. In 1766, Pontiac signed a peace treaty at Oswego.
One of the conditions of the treaty was Pontiac was
not considered guilty of any wrong and was allowed
to return home to his family who were living on the
Maumee River.
After
Pontiac's War, the British
told settlers not to move west of the Appalachian
mountains. This land was for the Indians. However,
many settlers ignored this and moved into the frontier.
As more whites moved onto the frontier, the fighting
increased. This time, Pontiac favored peace over war.
His
views were not popular with many of the younger Indian
warriors. In 1769, an Indian from Illinois named Black
Dog murdered Pontiac. It is believed that the British
also may have paid Black Dog for the murder in order
to get rid of a great leader who was against the British.
Although Pontiac never achieved his dream of a united
Indian front, his dream lived on and was adopted by
other Indian leaders such as Little
Turtle and Tecumseh.
Text
& pic from the Ohio
Historical Society Site
|
-
return to index Native
Americans -
|
