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Pontiac’s War Facts & Worksheets

Pontiac's War, also known as Pontiac's Rebellion or Pontiac's Conspiracy, was a war launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of American Indians.

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Pontiac’s War, also known as Pontiac’s Rebellion or Pontiac’s Conspiracy, was a war launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of American Indians who were dissatisfied with the British rule in the Great Lakes region and the Ohio Country following the French and Indian War.

See the fact file below for more information on the Pontiac’s War or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Pontiac’s War worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

NAME OF THE WAR

  • The war was named after the Ottawa leader Pontiac, who was one of the most known participants in the war.
  • Francis Parkman referred to the war as The Conspiracy of Pontiac in his 1851 publication.
  • Consequently, the war became known as “Pontiac’s Conspiracy”.
  • It also known as “Pontiac’s Rebellion”.
  • 20th-century historians believe that Pontiac’s importance was overestimated while 21st century historians think otherwise and continue to use “Pontiac’s War” or “Pontiac’s Rebellion”.

FAST FACTS

  • Pontiac’s War lasted from 1763 to 1766.
  • The war took place in the Great Lakes region of North America.
  • The war was fought between the British Empire and warriors from Native American/American Indian tribes.
  • The British troops were led by Jeffrey Amherst, Henry Bouquet, and Thomas Gage.
  • The Native American tribes were led by Pontiac and Guyasuta.
  • The war resulted in American Indians conceding British sovereignty but compelling British policy changes.

BACKGROUND

  • For decades before Pontiac’s War took place, France and Great Britain fought in a series of conflicts in Europe that involved the French and Indian Wars in North America.
  • Despite the French having formed alliances with the American Indian tribes, the British treated the Indian tribes as their colony.
  • With the British occupying their territory and implementing new policies, the Indians grew increasingly dissatisfied.
  • General Jeffrey Amherst, the British commander-in-chief in North America, led the policy changes concerning military operations and regulation of the fur trade.
  • General Amherst believed the Indians would be left with no choice but to accept British sovereignty since France was no longer involved.
  • The dissatisfaction of the tribes grew when General Amherst cut back on gift giving, which had been essential to the relationship between the French and the tribes.

TRIBES INVOLVED

  • American Indians who participated in Pontiac’s War lived in a region of New France known as the pays d’en haut (which means the upper country).
  • The tribes of the pays d’en haut consisted of three basic groups: tribes of the Great Lakes region, tribes from eastern Illinois Country, and tribes of the Ohio Country.

OUTBREAK OF WAR

  • The war began at Fort Detroit under the leadership of Ottawa leader Pontiac.
  • He was a leader of the tribe located in the area of present-day Ontario, Canada, and the Great Lakes region.
  • Some historians believed the war was planned, hence the term Pontiac’ Conspiracy, while others believed Pontiac had spontaneously inspired discontented Indians to join the uprising.
  • When Amherst put a halt to the traditional gift-giving to the Indians, it made the situation worse.
  • Captain Donald Campbell, commandant at Detroit, and Indian Superintendent Sir William Johnson were able to keep the peace at first, but Pontiac became allies with the Delaware Prophet, a visionary who preached that the Indians should oppose the influence of the colonists and seek the regeneration of the tribes.

SIEGE OF DETROIT

  • After convincing the tribes of Ottawas, Ojibwas, Potawatomis, and Hurons to join in the revolt, Pontiac entered Fort Detroit on May 7, 1763, with approximately 300 men in a supposedly ambush operation.
  • However, the British troops waited armed and ready as the British commander had prior knowledge of of Pontiac’s plan.
  • More American Indians joined the siege and British reinforcements arrived late in July.
  • The war eventually reached a stalemate and Indian warriors were beginning to abandon the siege.
  • On July 31, 1763, about 250 men attempted to make a surprise attack on Pontiac’s encampment.
  • On October 31, 1763, Pontiac lifted the siege, but continued to plan his next scheme against the British.

SIEGE OF FORT PITT

  • On June 22, 1763, Delaware and Shawnee Indians attacked Fort Pitt and assaulted Pennsylvania settlements.
  • On June 24, the commander of Fort Pitt, Swiss Captain Simeon Ecuyer, used biological warfare against the Indians by giving representatives of the besieging Delaware Indians blankets that had been exposed to smallpox, with the intention of spreading the infectious disease to the Indians.
  • The fort was kept under siege throughout July.
  • The number of Indians who contracted smallpox through the incident was not verified.
  • This was not the last time the British attempted to spread smallpox to the Indians. The first account of Amherst suggesting this tactic to the Indians is from the summer of 1764, after the commander at Fort Pitt had already attempted this strategy.
  • On August 1, 1763, most of the Indians abandoned the siege at Fort Pitt so they could intercept a body of 500 British troops on their way to the fort under the leadership of Colonel Henry Bouquet.
  • On August 5, these two parties fought at the Battle of Bushy Run.
  • Colonel Henry Bouquet and his troops were able to relieve Fort Pitt on August 20.

OTHER FORTS TAKEN

  • Although the attacks on Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt failed, almost every minor fort attacked by the Indians was captured in 1763.
  • Western Pennsylvania suffered the greatest loss in people and properties.
  • Approximately 200 settlers and traders were killed.
  • An estimated £100,000 worth of property was destroyed.

BRITISH RESPONSE AND RESULT OF WAR

  • In 1764, the British launched an offensive in two parts: in the Ohio Country and in the Great Lakes region.
  • The Indians suffered a lack of ammunition towards the end, resulting in a treaty forcing the Indians to release all captives, which brought about the end of the war.
  • War leader Pontiac surrendered in 1766.

Pontiac’s War Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Pontiac’s War across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Pontiac’s War worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Pontiac’s War, also known as Pontiac’s Rebellion or Pontiac’s Conspiracy, which was a war launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of American Indians who were dissatisfied with the British rule in the Great Lakes region and the Ohio Country following the French and Indian War.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Pontiac’s War Facts
  • Profile of Pontiac
  • Prior to Pontiac’s War
  • Correct Sequence
  • British Leaders
  • True or False?
  • Decoding Tribe Names
  • Cause and Effect
  • Aftermath Analysis
  • Pros and Cons of War
  • Flag Design

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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