Learning Objective for Pontiac’s War, 1763–1765

This unit examines the ways in which Native American resistance to British authority reshaped relations between Europeans and Native Americans in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley following the Seven Years’ War. Some documents reveal policy judgments by British officials; others describe events on the ground and offer a glimpse of Native American and European interpretations and reactions. After reading the materials in this unit, you should be able to answer the central question: What were the causes and consequences of Native American resistance to British authority in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley following the Seven Years’ War? The documents in this unit will help you develop key historical thinking skills, including historical causation, recognizing patterns of continuity and change over time, comparison, and contextualization. By writing a response to the central question, you will also develop your skill in historical argumentation.