Sir Jeffrey Amherst and the Pontiac Rebellion

Previously published in Examiner
Part 2 of the Sir Jeffrey Amherst series

To learn more about Canadian or Quebec politics, both McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal offer wonderful political science degrees, that you may want to look into.

For further reading, Montreal's Concordia University has a wonderful women's studies program at the Simone do Beauvoir Institute

We now are setting the tone for the three female Governor Generals of Canada, two of which were from Montreal Quebec.

A history of the evolution of Canada is important to the understanding of the role of a governor general. We will look at four male governors at four different periods of Quebec and Canadian history. They mark the stage for governor generals. These men made decisions primarily on behalf of men. Women's issues were really not considered with any semblance of respect before the 20th century. The actions of these governors affected the lives of women and that is why they are chosen as a preamble before our women governor generals will be discussed.

Jeffrey Amherst: First Governor General of Quebec and British North America

Pontiac Rebellion and ruthless treatment of Women and Children

Jeffrey Amherst's conduct and warfare was despicable. The Pontiac Rebellion of 1773, resulted from the Native's dissatisfaction of the treatment they were receiving from the British after the French and Indian Wars. Amherst had attacked settlements killing innocent men, women and children.

The natives formed a loose confederacy of different tribes led by Pontiac their leader, to retaliate against Amherst. Here is where Amherst is noted for one of the most atrocious acts in British/Native relationships. The British traded goods with the Natives and Amherst deliberately infected blankets with smallpox to destroy the natives. Many lost their lives. Women and children died as well as their men.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffery_Amherst,_1st_Baron_Amherst