On this day, 24 March 1976, a right-wing coup backed by the US took place in Argentina, overthrowing populist Isabel Peron. The new military government stepped up Peron’s war against radical workers and communists, murdering and “disappearing” tens of thousands. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger advised the junta to wipe out its opponents quickly before outcry over human rights abuses could grow. More info in this short people’s history of Argentina: https://ift.tt/2I0Dwtc https://ift.tt/2U6oJ9V
On this day, 27 April 1763, Native American leader Pontiac spoke at a council meeting of several tribes to try to encourage them to join him in attacking the British military outpost Fort Detroit. It was an early episode in what became known as Pontiac’s rebellion, when a loose confederation of Indigenous tribes in what is now Michigan, Illinois and Ohio, came together to try to drive out British colonists.
In contrast to French colonists who formed alliances with Native American tribes and gave gifts, the British ceased gifting and treated Indigenous people as conquered subjects, driving resentment. Eventually, members of over a dozen tribes including the Miami, Seneca, Lenape, Huron and others joined forces and began attacking British forts. Over the next three years Native American forces successfully seized or destroyed several British forts.
Despite British forces having superior weaponry, and using smallpox as a weapon to decimate the Indigenous tribes, they could not defeat them outright. Therefore colonial authorities were forced to make concessions, creating a large “Indian Reserve” which colonists were forbidden to trespass on, and recognising certain Native American land rights. This caused resentment amongst the local colonists, and fuelled white support for independence from Britain.
Learn more about Indigenous resistance in the Americas in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/products/500-years-of-indigenous-resistance-gord-hill
Pictured: an illustration of the meeting https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1411414035710409/?type=3
