Pontiac (c. 1720–1769)

American Indian, chief of the Ottawa from 1755. Allied with the French forces during the French and Indian War (the North American branch of the Seven Years' War), Pontiac was hunted by the British after the French withdrawal. He led the ‘Conspiracy of Pontiac’ 1763–64 in an attempt to resist British persecution. He achieved remarkable success against overwhelming odds, but eventually signed a peace treaty in 1766.

Pontiac was born near Detroit. He was murdered by a Peoria Indian in Illinois at the instigation of a British trader.

Pontiac

City and administrative headquarters of Oakland County, southeast Michigan, USA, on the Clinton River, 38 km/24 mi northwest of Detroit; population (2000) 66,300. Situated in a lake-strewn resort area, Pontiac is one of a ring of cities surrounding Detroit, involved in the American automobile industry. It specializes in the manufacture of Pontiac cars and goods vehicles for General Motors, and is also a tourist centre. Among its other manufactures are rubber, paint and varnish, boats, plastic, and dairy products. Its 80,000-seat Silverdome arena (1975) is the home of the Detroit Lions American football team.

Pontiac was settled in 1818 as a rest point on the westward pioneer trail, and named after a chief of the Ottawa people. In the late 19th century it was a major producerof horse-drawn vehicles.