Famous Chief Fort Research Paper

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Pages: 6

I would like to provide you with a general overview of a famous Chief’s life that fought for better conditions for Native people. Chief Pontiac's father was from the Otter Clan of the Ottawa Indians and his mother was of the Chippewa tribe. Raised as an Ottawa, he lived in the Ohio country in present day Michigan. Little is known of his early years but sources state he may have traded with French forts along the Great Lakes and with forts west of the Appalachian Mountains. He is most remembered for uniting a Native American front to resist westward English settlement. Pontiac's resistance started due to several factors that occurred in his time. Trade was favored to the French because they respected Indian customs and did not impose a threat …show more content…
However, a soldier's Indian mistress alerted her lover to the imminent danger and the battalion had time to prepare for the advancement before the stealth assault could be executed. Pontiac then laid siege to the fort while other forts across the continent were assaulted and destroyed by the multi-tribal alliance. Over several months the rare display of inter-tribal unity captured nine British forts. The plan was mostly successful however; Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt were not successfully captured. Fort Pitt survived because of a captain who would not allow the Indians into the fort; therefore, their stealth plan was unable to be executed. The two forts had withstood the assault and discouraged some followers; some began to abandon the siege. Also, the French were unable to come to their Indian allies aid mostly because they were too weak in numbers and supplies, they had no ammunition or soldiers coming in from France due to the loss to England in Europe. English forces began to rally and started to march towards the seized forts. During a negotiation, English representatives gave Indians blankets infected with smallpox to weaken their numbers and strength. Some American Indians attempted to poison water wells using animal carcasses. However the turning point in what some call Pontiac's Conspiracy was a battle between Pontiac's warriors and a platoon led by a Colonel Henry Bouquet, who was marching to relieve the combatants with