Product Description

A comprehensive investigation of the life of the Ottawa Indian chief.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1317559 in Books
• Published on: 1994-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 346 pages

From the Publisher
First published in 1947, "Pontiac and the Indian Uprising" is a product of his time; it is both informative and reflective of the attitudes that existed fifty years ago about Native Americans. Howard Peckham examines how Pontiac was able to lead four tribes to war and inspire the revolt of many more. He looks at the circumstances that motivated and encouraged him, and finally, at Pontiac's eventual failure.

This comprehensive investigation of Pontiac's life was difficult because, unable to write, he left no collection of papers. All of his contemporaries who wrote about him were also his enemies, so obtaining an objective picture from them was nearly impossible. Peckham used important source material that enabled him to understand the Ottawa chief and to trace his movements with some continuity. The book includes, in full, the few letters that Pontiac dictated and his speeches.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Piece
For a shorter paperback work, this was a most impressive piece. Not only was the author complete in his explanation of Pontiac's War, but also gave all points of view. Many times Pontiac's own words were translated to get the effect of the messages he was trying to relay. It was very detailed in explaining The Ottawa Chief's influence over many tribes, including the western tribes of Illinois. He almost singlehandedly destroyed the English western frontier of the Great Lakes, Unfortunately as readers know, logistics win wars, and his lack of supplies did him in. The book also touched on many roles key English officers and civilians played in the developing peace, and also what role the French continued to play even after their defeat in the French and Indian War. Pontiac's defeat was the beginning of the end of the Native Americans control of this land, as sad as it is. Enjoy this wonderful book.

60 year old book still unsurpassed.
the standard view of Pontiac sometimes gives the view that after the failure of the siege of Detroit he was finished and faded into alcoholic obscurity and then was assassinated outside a tavern(drunken Indian?) at Cahokia,Illinois.This book shows him still active and as double dealing as his enemies the British merchants backed by their little existing Royal government.It's obvious from this read that when he was murdered he was still a threat to British merchants(later American entrepreneurs)because he wanted a better deal for Indian interests.This event was a full scaled war with massacres of civilians on both sides,and one of the early recorded instances of biological warfare.The British made "peace offerings" of smallpox infected blankets and scarves.Also obvious in the book is the power of the British navy on the Great Lakes,they could resupply any post almost at whim,whereas the Indians have canoes and small barges.The British also more effectively use politics and "payoffs" in the form of gifts to isolate and make Pontiac appear a "very bad man".Technological superiority is often cited as the main reason for the British conquest of the Indian,but the political evolution of the English may have been an even bigger reason for it. Remember the british government's policy at this time is "laissez faire",which means the merchants are pretty much free to do as they want. Do you think for a second they would want Pontiac around?Finding someone to "do the job" for a blanket and a pint of ale would have been no problem on the American frontier at the time.In addition Pontiac is sympathetic and maybe even allied with the French.He might have even fared the same fee even today.There is some new material in this book that was not available to Francis Parkman and this is one of only 2 or 3 books written about Pontiac that are not children's books.It's hard due to a lack of primary sources about Pontiac to give a really accurate portrait,but this book really digs for it with great footnotes.The story of the assasination doesn't clear up who did it,but there alot of suspects,and I picked mine from the book.