Pontiac's War
Amherst also began to restrict the amount of ammunition and gunpowder that traders could sell to Native Americans. The French had always made these goods available. Amherst, however, did not trust the Native Americans, particularly after the "Cherokee Rebellion" of 1761. In this rebellion Cherokee warriors took up arms against their former British allies. The Cherokee war effort had collapsed because of a shortage of gunpowder. Amherst therefore hoped that future uprisings could be prevented by restricting the supply of gunpowder. This created resentment and hardship: Native American men needed gunpowder and ammunition, because it helped them with hunting. With gunpowder and ammunition, they had more game for their families and skins for the fur trade. Many Native Americans began to believe that the British were disarming them before starting war against them. Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of the Indian Department, tried to warn Amherst of the dangers of cutting back on gifts and gunpowder, but he was not successful.