Pontiac (Ottawa leader)

Pontiac
No authentic images of Pontiac are known to exist. This interpretation was painted by John Mix Stanley.
Born	c. 1720 Great Lakes region, New France
Died	April 20, 1769 (aged 48–49) near Cahokia, Illinois Country
Cause of death	assassination
Nationality	Ottawa
Occupation	War leader
Known for	Pontiac's War

Pontiac or Obwandiyag (c. 1720 – April 20, 1769) was an Odawa war chief who became noted for his role in Pontiac's War (1763–1766), an American Indian struggle against British military occupation of the Great Lakes region and named for him. It followed the British victory in the French and Indian War, the North American front of the Seven Years' War. Pontiac's importance has been debated in the war that bears his name. Nineteenth-century accounts portrayed him as the mastermind and leader of the revolt, but some subsequent scholars argued that his role had been exaggerated. Historians today generally view him as an important local leader who influenced a wider movement that he did not command.

The war began in May 1763 when Pontiac and 300 followers attempted to take Fort Detroit by surprise. His plan was foiled, so Pontiac laid siege to the fort, where he was eventually joined by more than 900 warriors from a half-dozen tribes. Meanwhile, messengers spread the word of Pontiac's actions, and the war expanded far beyond Detroit. In July 1763, Pontiac defeated a British detachment at the Battle of Bloody Run, but he was unable to capture the fort. In October, he lifted the siege and withdrew to the Illinois Country.

Pontiac's influence declined around Detroit because of the unsuccessful siege, but he gained stature as he continued to encourage resistance to the British. Seeking to end the war, British officials made him the focus of their diplomatic efforts. In July 1766, he made peace with British Superintendent of Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson. The attention that the British paid to Pontiac resulted in resentment among other tribal leaders, as the war effort was decentralized and Pontiac claimed greater authority than he possessed. He was increasingly ostracized, then assassinated by a Peoria warrior in 1769.