Pontiac's War
Land was also an issue in the coming of the war. With the French, there were relatively few colonists. Most of the colonists were farmers, who also traded fur during the hunting season. In contrast, there were many British colonists. The British colonists wanted to clear the land of the trees and occupy it. Shawnees and Delawares in the Ohio Country had been displaced by British colonists in the east: This was the main reason for their involvement in the war. On the other hand, Native Americans in the Great Lakes region and the Illinois Country had not been greatly affected by white settlement. They were aware of the experiences of tribes in the east, though. Historian Gregory Dowd argues that most Native Americans involved in Pontiac's Rebellion were not immediately threatened with displacement by white settlers. Dowd argues that historians have therefore overemphasized British colonial expansion as a cause of the war. He believes that the presence, attitude, and policies of the British Army, which the Native Americans found threatening and insulting, were more important factors.