by Marcus Brooks

Created on: July 07, 2008

When the greatest war (to date) fought on North America ended, one nation stood tall. The other lost a key country in its immense empire.

The French and Indian War was an extension of England's and France's Thirty Years War. Two powerful foes used The Thirteen Colonies, Canadian province and the Ohio woodlands as their battlegrounds. English settlers were manipulated as pawns for both entities. The settlers also suffered atrocities from the Indian tribes the English and French used as well. The end of hostilities finally came on the plains of Quebec as two revered generals, Wolfe(Great Britain) and Montcalm (France) died from mortal wounds. The French forces were compelled to retreat, and later sued for peace.

After England's victory, they re-established control of the frontier. They constructed Fort Detroit. They also created Fort Sandusky, Fort Miami and others. British soldiers manned these outposts that oversaw the frontier wilderness. However, they neglected one enemy and friend of the French who disliked the incursions on Indian land.

Chief Pontiac of the Illinois tribe was France's ally. His people as well as the Chippewas, Hurons and Ottawas dealt frequently with French, fur traders. He enjoyed the fair treatment he received from them. When British agents took over, they treated him no respect. They also shorted warriors on deals as far as flour, tobacco and such. In addition, the French never tried to settle on his land without asking first. Seeing colonial settlers building on Indian hunting and burial grounds angered him. During the fall of 1763, he unleashed his braves. Other tribes joined his in a war of extermination.

From 1763-1764, the British lost about 20 forts on the frontier. All went down except for Detroit, because it was too well-fortified. However, hundreds of settlers were dead. Settlements suffered from devestating Indian raids. England responded by sending expeditions to the woodland to punish Pontiac's "confederation". But as in the earlier war, British Regulars had no experience with Indian fighting. They fell into clever ambushes such as the one planned at Bloody Bridge (1764). On this day, around 200 soldiers were attacked along a gorge by hundreds of concealed warriors. In hand to hand combat, Indians threw Regulars over a cliff to their deaths. Others were shot or tomahawked down and scalped. The British retreated in disorder; leaving the wounded to fend off a scalping and slashing enemy. Over a 1/3 were lost with more than half

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