Detroit: The Early Years

The British Years:1760 - 1783

Detroit: 1760-1783

• Detroit was turned over to the British as part of the French and Indian War in 1760, and British Traders started to arrive in the Spring of 1761.

• The most immediate change was that the British were not friendly with the Native Americans, and were notoriously tough traders.

• The British would no longer give ammunition to the Native Americans (for hunting) and the Natives believed that the British were trying to starve them to death.

I. British - Native American Relations

Detroit: 1760-1783• The Native Americans continued to grow upset until in 1763 Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe summoned a war council.

• At the war council, Pontiac planned attacks on various British forts all across the Midwest, choosing that he and the Ottawa would attack Detroit.

• Pontiac and his troops entered the fort for a meeting, but the British knew of the attack and were ready and Pontiac retreated.

Detroit: 1760-1783• Realizing that they could no long surprise the British, Pontiac instead began attacking the farmers who lived outside of the fort.

• The British sent two officers to negotiate with Pontiac, but Pontiac took them hostage and used them to negotiate, as his troops surrounded the Fort.

• The stalemate lasted two months, with attacks against the Native Americans having little to no success.

Detroit: 1760-1783

Detroit: 1760-1783• Other Native American tribes had captured other British Forts in the Midwest, but were unable to take Detroit.

• When fall came, the other Native American tribes such as the Chippewa, and Huron settled peace treaties with the British.

• After being abandoned, Pontiac made an offer for a peace treaty, and before he getting a response, he returned to his home close to modern-day Toledo.

Detroit: 1760-1783

• Life in Detroit was peaceful between 1763 and 1775.

• But once the American Colonies declared their Independence from Britain, Detroit’s fort became a base of operations for the British to lead attacks against the Americans in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Western New York.

• The British feared that the Americans would counter-attack Detroit and built a stronger fort.

II. The American Revolution

Detroit: 1760-1783

• The Americans never attacked Detroit, and by 1781 the Americans had won the war.

• The peace treaty turning over the land to the Americans was signed in 1783.

Fort Detroit

Detroit: 1760-1783• But the British refused to leave. They did not want to loose the fur trade, which was still valuable.

• The British claimed that the U.S. had not held up their end of the peace treaty and refused to leave the fort.

• The situation lasted for over ten years, and in that time Detroit even elected two representatives to the new Canadian government.

• President George Washington sent an army to take back the area from the Native Americans and the British.

• The army was lead by General “Mad Anthony” Wayne.

Detroit: 1760-1783• After defeating the Native Americans on his way to Detroit, Wayne had no trouble negotiating a treaty with the British to finally give up Detroit in 1794.

• For his efforts, Wayne county, and subsequently Wayne State University were named after Anthony Wayne.