Friday, September 13, 2013

PONTIAC'S REBELLION




Pontiac's Rebellion resulted from the French and Indian War and was another major factor leading to the American Revolution.The Pontiac Rebellion began with the Native American Confederacy warriors who were controlled by the Ottowa chief, Pontiac, who attacked the British forts in Detroit. Pontiac began receiving support from all Indians tribes in order to launch a campaign against the British in their French lands. Pontiac had a plan in which tribes would have a designated fort and would seize them before joining together to seize the others.
On July 31, a British relief expedition attacked Pontiac's camp but suffered heavy losses and were repelled in the Battle of Bloody Run. They succeeded in providing the fort at Detroit with reinforcements and supplies. However, the united tribes captured eight other fortified posts. In 1764, two British armies were sent out, one into Pennsylvania and Ohio under Colonel Bouquet, and the other to the Great Lakes under Colonel John Bradstreet. Bouquet's campaign met with success, and the Delawares and the Shawnees were forced to sue for peace, breaking Pontiac's alliance.
Failing to persuade tribes in the West to join his rebellion, and lacking the hoped-for support from the French, Pontiac finally signed a treaty with the British in 1766. In 1769, he was murdered by a Peoria Indian while visiting Illinois. His death led to bitter warfare among the tribes, and the Peoria's were nearly wiped out. Because the Indians took over British forts and took over settlements King George III wanted to end it by issuing the Proclamation of 1763, which led the British to become extremely angry. It also led to the American Revolution which was a conflict that arose between the residents of the American colonies and the colonial government because the British wanted to be in control.