When a British garrison took possession of Fort Detroit from the French in 1760, local Native Americans cautioned them that "this country was given by God to the Indians."
The attacks on British forts were not simultaneous: most Ohio Native Americans did not enter the war until nearly a month after the beginning of Pontiac's siege at Detroit.
Rather than the French stirring up the Native Americans, some historians now argue that the Native Americans were trying to stir up the French.
Violence finally erupted after the Native Americans learned in early 1763 of the imminent French cession of the pays d'en haut to the British.
General Amherst, the British commander-in-chief in North America, was in overall charge of administering policy towards Native Americans, which involved both military matters and regulation of the fur trade.
Now that treaties had been negotiated at Fort Niagara and Fort Detroit, the Ohio Native Americans were isolated and, with some exceptions, ready to make peace.
Amherst and officers such as Major Henry Gladwin, commander at Fort Detroit, made little effort to conceal their contempt for the Native Americans.
Although some French colonists and traders supported the uprising, the war was initiated and conducted by Native Americans who had Native—not French—objectives.
On May 27, 1763, the commander was lured out of the fort by his Native mistress and shot dead by Miami Native Americans.
Great Lakes Native Americans were alarmed to learn that they were under British sovereignty after the French loss of North America.
Additional Native resentment resulted from Amherst's decision in February 1761 to cut back on the gifts given to the Native Americans.
Before other British outposts had learned about Pontiac's siege at Detroit, Native Americans captured five small forts in a series of attacks between May 16 and June 2.
