General Amherst was the British commander-in-chief in North America. He was also responsible for the policy regarding the treatment of Native Americans. This involved both military matters and the regulation of the fur trade. In Amherst's opinion, the Native Americans had to accept British rule, since the French were no longer in control of the territory. He also believed that they were incapable of resisting against the British Army; therefore, of the 8,000 troops under his command in North America, only about 500 were stationed in the region where the war erupted. Amherst and officers such as Major Henry Gladwin, commander at Fort Detroit, made little effort to conceal their contempt for the Native Americans. Native Americans involved in the uprising frequently complained that the British treated them no better than slaves or dogs.