nkjn

Dr. Marsha Richmond

Dowd, Gregory Evans. War Under Heaven: Pontiac, the Indian Nations, & the British Empire. Baltimore & London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002. 360 pp.

In War under Heaven: Pontiac, the Indian Nations and the British Empire, Gregory Evans Dowd, director of Native American studies at the University of Michigan, undertakes to provide a re-analysis of the so-called Pontiac's Rebellion that raged from 1763 and 1767, which Dowd consistently calls “Pontiac’s War.” It seems that Dowd finds the word rebellion problematic because, in this case, it denotes that the Indians were in open resistance to their ruler. Since the Indians were always outside of British sovereignty and were never really “subjects” of the Royal Crown, how could they be considered rebels? As the author notes, the word subject implies the Monarch’s “responsibilities to people whom history had invested with liberties,” which did not apply to the Indians. On the other hand, the word war usually means “armed conflict between nations, states, or separate parties within a region or area,” though some might argue that this term should be reserved for armed conflicts on a much grander scale. Comparing these two definitions, Dowd’s choice is probably more accurate – and definitely less biased – than the word rebellion, which tends to more correctly reflect the British perspective.

In writing this narrative, the author offers a new hypothesis as to the causes of Pontiac’s War. In part, Dowd is dismissing earlier arguments advanced by Francis Parkman (The Conspiracy of Pontiac) and perpetuated by Howard H. Peckham (Pontiac and the Indian Uprising) that the conflict was the result of Indian treachery and French instigation. Dowd’s version of the story is much more sympathetic to Pontiac than earlier works by other authors. In contrast, Parkman portrays Pontiac as a tragic figure, a doomed but cunning conspirator, who embodies traits that are supposedly ingrained in the character of Indians.

By tackling this topic, the author hopes to strip away much of the mythology that surrounds both Pontiac and the conflict that bears his name. While Parkman maintains that Pontiac was a strong leader who orchestrated a massive conspiracy against British power, Dowd presents Pontiac as a respected civil leader – an ogema – who was inspired by sacred traditions and under the influence of current prophecies, but had no authority to impose his opinions. Dowd’s account implies that Pontiac, as an ogema, stood outside and above the religious movement, yet harnessed it to achieve practical objectives.

For the most part, Dowd’s extensively researched narrative is easy to read. Aside from its somewhat lengthy introduction, the majority of the book is more or less arranged chronologically. However, Dowd will stray from the timeline in order to interject remarks that he feels are appropriate. The conclusion of the book is followed by 80+ pages of additional text, which includes three sections: Abbreviations, Notes (or endnotes) and an Index.

In each of the chapters, the author takes advantage of any opportunity he can to elaborate on his many themes. Some recurring elements in Dowd’s book are: 1) honor/dishonor(gifts, language/speech); 2) leadership (French, British, Indian); 3) status of Indians (as British subjects, as a separate nation, under British protection, British versus French); 4) mastery (control of or over; superiority and inferiority); 5) material issues (land, trade goods) and 6) violence, actual and instigated (British against Indians, colonists against Indians – Paxton Boys and Black Boys/Brave Fellows, Indians against British, Indians against Indians). Using the chronological historical events of Pontiac’s War as a framework, the author takes every opportunity possible to “flesh out” this skeleton and address these points. It seems that Dowd’s primary focus, by far, was the issue of gifts and honor. When Indians received gifts, they were tokens of respect; if no gifts were given, then it was a clear sign of contempt and dislike, much in the same way the arrogant British dishonored the Indians by calling them “dogs” and “hogs.” Dowd makes the argument that had the British continued with their original gift-giving policy, which was more generous than even that of the French, Pontiac’s War might have been averted. While that may be the case, it is a rather narrow-minded and optimistic conclusion, seeing that it does not take into account other variables, such as the greed of both the non-Indians, the lifestyles of the colonists, and the presence and dispositions of other Indians. Good!

To support his many themes and arguments, the author draws heavily on a number of resources. Dowd makes multiple references to Parkman’s The Conspiracy of Pontiac and Peckham’s Pontiac and the Indian Uprising. Additionally, the endnotes section contains references for personal journals of historical figures, articles from historical periodicals, various dissertations, plus articles and artifacts that are part of the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library. Also in the endnotes are numerous books and commentaries about British policies and political figures, the lives of the colonists, and Indian habits and traditions. These endnotes are so detailed that they can be used as a starting point for anybody who wants to research the topic further.

War under Heaven has many strengths and few weaknesses. On the positive side, Dowd thoroughly explores the Indian cultures of the Great Lakes region and presents scholarly analyses of British Imperial culture as demonstrated on the North American frontier. His examination of historical evidence is thorough and balanced, presenting both the underpinnings and consequences of the key players. Dowd also provides several mini-biographies and background information about various leaders and personalities. In addition to reinterpreting the underlying causes of the war, the author also offers new insights into Indian tactics – a deliberate plan, with attacks along major trade routes. Dowd also gives due consideration to the role of the Catholic Jesuits, along with the teachings of Neolin, a Delaware prophet, and his spiritual influence on the course of the war.

In my opinion, the main reason that the Dowd’s arguments for most of his themes – particularly those involving violence, British policy and attitudes toward the Indians, and material issues like land and gun powder – are compelling is his use of multiple events in which these elements keep appearing. As for the author’s belief that the lack of gift giving was the primary cause of Pontiac’s War, the documentation in this book doesn’t actually bear it out. Just because the theory is presented time and time again throughout the book does not make it any more valid than if it had been stated only once. In my opinion, the sole benefit of spaced repetition with regard to the gift giving issue is the brain-washing effect it may have on the audience – almost bordering on manipulation. Good. Certainly this was a major thesis in Parkman’s and Peckham’s works, and I believe that Dowd also stresses the insults of the British along with the lack of gifts as offending the Indians.

One area where Dowd really excelled in persuasion is in his account that traced the history of the Delawares and how they may have reached their current connection with the Ottawas. The information is stated in an almost matter-of-fact manner, and the readers are not left with the feeling that the author was trying to force them into accepting his viewpoint. Dowd also does a phenomenal job in relating the spiritual background surrounding the Indian tribes, with their traditions, customs, and beliefs. Again, readers will most likely came to the same conclusions as the author, without having to submit to any high-pressure tactics.

No book is perfect, and this one is no exception. So where does War Under Heaven miss the mark? First, it does not include some of the full-text documentation that Parkman’s book did in the Appendices. Secondly, as mentioned previously, there is not enough evidence to conclude that the lack of gift giving was the primary cause of Pontiac’s War. On the contrary, Dowd repeatedly gives information that supports the theory that the land issue and potential loss of the Indian lifestyle as the chief cause, but other elements were contributing factors. Another area where the book may or may not fall short concerns the skill of the Indians in warfare. While the Great Britain was well known for its naval navy, its army left a lot to be desired, and Dowd fails to mention this. On many occasions it wasn’t that the Indian warriors were such great fighters, it was more that the British army was not very good. Also, some readers might get bogged down with all the military details and just skim over those sections.

For the most part, War Under Heaven is a very complete account of the events surrounding Pontiac’s War. The only think that might be considered missing would be more biographical details about Pontiac’s personal life. However, it is understandable; if the information is not available, it cannot be included.

This book especially fits in well with the early chapters of our textbook, Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State, particularly Chapters 2-5. Chapter2: Michigan’s First Residents introduces us to the Indians of the Great Lakes region. Chapter 3: The French Explorers lays the background to fur trade-based relationship between the white man and the Indians. Chapter 4: Michigan Under French Development describes the establishment of the first forts in Michigan and the ribbon farms around Fort Pontchartrain. Finally, Chapter 5: Michigan Under the British Flag is the setting for Pontiac’s War.

While Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State is a great book, it is a textbook nonetheless. For the most part it does nothing more than present the overall picture and it reads like a textbook. On the other hand, War Under Heaven is an easy-to-read narrative, with lots of interesting details. It’s not fair to compare the two. People that were simply names on pages in the textbook became individuals with personalities and character flaws under Dowd’s authorship. What were mere paragraphs in the textbook about Pontiac’s War grew and filled pages in Dowd’s book. In other words, this book provided a much more in-depth coverage of Pontiac’s War than the textbook did. Good—that’s precisely why I wanted you to read a real monograph!

Although War Under Heaven was a lengthy book, it was worth reading. Yes, the historical background was excellent, but that is not what really impressed me. What actually made the book interesting were all the “ah-hah” moments. For instance, when Dowd mentioned the French habitants, I recalled the narrow farmland grants outside of Fort Pontchartrain (Fort Detroit). When Dowd was describing the Indians’ strategy to cut off “communications” and supplies, it reminded me of Sherman’s burning of Atlanta before his March to the Sea. Every time that Dowd mentioned the Moravians, it brought to mind the historical marker for Moravian Road. The inclusion of the “otherworldly” aspect made me think about how oftentimes the spirit realm is discounted as a factor in the shaping of events in history. Religious movements, religious persecution, and even religious cults have been and will continue to be motivating forces for peoples and nations. General Jeffrey Amherst, Robert Rogers, George Croghan, Captain Campbell, Sir William Johnson, and Henry Gladwin are no longer just names; they are people with character traits that you admire or despise. The treatment that the Indians received from both the British and the colonists was detestable and heartbreaking, not much different than what the African American slaves had to endure. The way that the Indians treated their fellow Indians doesn’t make them much better than their white counterparts. This book definitely provided some food for thought.

Although I did not agree with everything the author presented in this book, I would absolutely recommend it. One issue I had to overcome with Dowd’s book was the book title and chapter headings were at the bottom of the pages, instead of at the top; it took some time to get used to that. Comparing it to Parkman’s book, I found Dowd’s War Under Heaven to be more interesting and faster reading, but the layout of Parkman’s book was the traditional format. If I were writing this book, there are probably two things that I would do differently. First, I would find another publisher/editor who would have used or recommended that I use the more traditional page layout. Secondly, I would have focused on the land issue and potential loss of lifestyle, not gift giving, the primary cause of Pontiac’s War. But that’s a moot point, so I’ll just recommend Dowd’s book instead.

Very nice essay! You well describe and analyze the book, point out its strengths and weaknesses, and place it within the context of the course material. Thus, it well fulfills the description of an “A” paper:

Points: 100 / A