Pontiac Peace Treaty
County: Edgar
Location: West side of IL 1, 2.4 miles north of
Chrisman
Erected: 06/25/1965 Erected by:
Illinois Department of Transportation and The Illinois State
Historical Society
A few miles west of here on July 18, 1765, Pontiac, an Ottawa chief,
and George Croghan, British representative, met in a formal peace
council which ended the most threatening Indian uprising against the
British in North America. Following the French and Indian War
(1754-1763), many Indian tribes showed dissatisfaction with British
rule. Indian leaders believed the land belonged to the Indians and
that the French and British occupied it only by their consent, but
the British had no intention of accepting Indian tribes as
independent national units possessing sovereignty. This disagreement
and others concerning liquor, ammunition, and other gifts led to open
hostilities. On May 3, 1763, Pontiac led the Ottawa and other tribes
in an attack on Fort Detroit. Additional tribes attacked other forts.
Soon the frontier was the scene of an extensive Indian uprising. By
August, only Detroit, Fort Pitt and Fort Niagara remained in British
hands. Pontiac held his followers to a six months' siege of Detroit
which was remarkable as warriors preferred active combat.
Contemporary estimates of the number killed or captured by the
Indians ran as high as 2,000 but the actual figure was closer to 600.
The siege failed and Pontiac traveled west to seek French aid. When
this was refused, Pontiac agreed to meet the English representative
George Croghan. Following this meeting, Pontiac accompanied Croghan
to Detroit where they arrived on August 17, 1765, to finalize the
treaty with appropriate ceremonies. Pontiac was assassinated in
Cahokia, Illinois, April, 1769 by a Peoria Indian.
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