Beyond Pontiac’s Shadow : Michilimackinac and the Anglo-Indian War of 1763

On June 2, 1763, the Ojibwe captured Michigan’s Fort Michilimackinac from the British. Ojibwe warriors from villages on Mackinac Island and along the Cheboygan River had surprised the unsuspecting garrison while playing a game of baggatiway. On the heels of the capture, Odawa from nearby L’Arbre Croche arrived to rescue British prisoners, setting into motion a complicated series of negotiations among Ojibwe, Odawa, and Menominee and other Indians from Wisconsin. Because nearly all Native people in the Michilimackinac borderland had allied themselves with the British before the attack, they refused to join the Michilimackinac Ojibwe in their effort to oust the British from the upper country; the turmoil effectively halted the fur trade. Beyond Pontiac’s Shadow examines the circumstances leading up to the attack and the course of events in the aftermath that resulted in the regarrisoning of the fort and the restoration of the fur trade. At the heart of this discussion is an analysis of French-Canadian and Indian communities at the Straits of Mackinac and throughout the pays d’en haut. An accessible guide to this important period in Michigan, American, and Canadian history, Beyond Pontiac’s Shadow sheds invaluable light on a political and cultural crisis. Book Jacket: On June 2, 1763, the Ojibwe captured Michigan's Fort Michilimackinac from the British. Ojibwe warriors from villages on Mackinac Island and along the Cheboygan River had surprised the unsuspecting garrison while playing a game of baggatiway. On the heels of the capture, Odawa from nearby L'Arbre Croche arrived to rescue British prisoners, setting into motion a complicated series of negotiations between the Ojibwe, Odawa, and the Menominee and other Indians from Wisconsin. Because nearly all Native people in the Michilimackinac borderland had allied themselves with the British before the attack, they refused to join the Michilimackinac Ojibwe in their effort to oust the British from the upper country; the turmoil effectively halted the fur trade. Beyond Pontiac's Shadow examines the circumstances leading up to the attack and the course of events in the aftermath that resulted in the regarrisoning of the fort and the restoration of the fur trade. At the heart of this discussion is an analysis of French-Canadian and Indian communities at the Straits of Mackinac and throughout the pays d'en haut. An accessible guide to this important period in Michigan, American, and Canadian history, Beyond Pontiac's Shadow sheds invaluable light on a political and cultural crisis On June 2, 1763, the Ojibwe captured Michigan's Fort Michilimackinac from the British. Ojibwe warriors from villages on Mackinac Island and along the Cheboygan River had surprised the unsuspecting garrison while playing a game of baggatiway. On the heels of the capture, Odawa from nearby L'Arbre Croche arrived to rescue British prisoners, setting into motion a complicated series of negotiations among Ojibwe, Odawa, and Menominee and other Indians from Wisconsin. Because nearly all Native people in the Michilimackinac borderland had allied themselves with the British before the attack, they refused to join the Michilimackinac Ojibwe in their effort to oust the British from the upper country; the turmoil effectively halted the fur trade. This book examines the circumstances leading up to the attack and the course of events in the aftermath that resulted in the regarrisoning of the fort and the restoration of the fur trade. At the heart of this discussion is an analysis of French-Canadian and Indian communities at the Straits of Mackinac and throughout the pays d'en haut. An accessible guide to this important period in Michigan, American, and Canadian history, this book sheds light on a political and cultural crisis. -- Provided by publisher Contents 8 Foreword by Phil Porter 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 18 Chapter One. Michilimackinac, 1760: At the Heart of North America 32 Chapter Two. Michilimackinac, 1761: A French-Canadian, Odawa, and Ojibwe Community 60 Chapter Three. Detroit, 1760–1761: The British Enter the Pays d’en Haut 84 Chapter Four. Michilimackinac, 1761: British Troops Take Possession of the Fort and the Posts at La Baye and St. Joseph 104 Chapter Five. Prelude to War, 1762–1763: Amherst’s Policies, Native Unrest, and the Diplomacy of Thomas Hutchins and James Gorrell 124 Chapter Six. Michilimackinac on the Brink, Spring 1763 154 Chapter Seven. Michilimackinac, Summer 1763: Attack, Exile, Diplomacy, Loss, Repatriation 170 Chapter Eight. Crown Officials Respond to Calamity, Late 1763 and Early 1764 198 Chapter Nine. Prelude to British Reoccupation of Fort Michilimackinac, 1764 218 Chapter Ten. The British Return to Michilimackinac, 1764–1765 232 Epilogue 252 Appendix One. Michilimackinac Families 254 Appendix Two. Dietrich Brehm’s Reports for 1760 and 1761 266 Appendix Three. Deeds, December 21, 1760 282 Notes 290 Bibliography 328 Index 342