Pontiac's Conspiracy
County: Edgar
Location: SE corner junction IL 49 & Palermo Rd.
4.7 mi N of US 36
Erected: 03/01/1936 Erected by:
Illinois Department of Transportation and The Illinois State
Historical Society
Following the French and Indian War (1754-1763), France ceded all
claims to their North American Territory, called New France, to
England in the Treaty of Paris (February, 1763). English troops
quickly occupied many former French forts and conditions began to
change for the Indians. The English were interested in settling, not
trading. A popular Ottawa Indian Chief, Pontiac, was able to unite
many of the Northwest Territory Indian tribes in an uprising that
came to be known as Pontiac's conspiracy. From early 1763 into 1765,
the Indians attacked forts and outlying settlements throughout the
Great Lakes area. Only Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit remained in English
control. After an unusual but unsuccessful 6 month seige of Fort
Detroit, many Indians became discouraged and returned home to prepare
for the coming winter. Pontiac then tried unsuccessfully to obtain
aid from Commandant Neyon de Villiers at Fort de Chartes. According
to local tradition, Pontiac then reluctantly met with George Croghan,
Sir William Johnson's representative, at the site of Palermo, three
miles east of here in July, 1765 to make preliminary arrangments for
peace. Following the meeting at Palermo, the two men traveled to Fort
Quiatenon (LaFayette, Indiana) and on to Fort Detroit to smoke a
peace pipe and sign a treaty ending the uprising.
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