The Seven Years' War, also known as the French-Indian War, was probably the most important event in the 18th century North America. Even though the war was led between the British and the French colonists, the Native Americans played the most essential role in the conflict. In fact, it was one of the Delaware chiefs who instigated the animosity between the colonists in 1754. when he killed a French emissary in an attempt to secure his position of a leader. Their allegiance to the French in the early years of the conflict enabled the French to gain the upper hand on the Ohio region and to harass British settlers on the borders. The British struggled up until the 1757. when the French lost the Native American support. The new French commander, Montcalm, had no love for the Native American warriors and made a mistake of underestimating their importance and denying them their rightful reward after the siege of Fort William Henry. In 1758. at the Treaty of Easton, the British managed to negotiate the peace with the Ohio Valley Indians and were able to turn their full attention towards the North. After the Iroquois departed from their policy of neutrality in 1759. and joined the British cause, victory was almost secured. In 1760. the British took control of Montreal and the French colony was no more. The Native Americans took part in almost every battle during the war and the result would possibly be very different without their envolvement. The only problem was that the British did not acknowledge this. Tensions between the settlers and the Indians were also high and they resulted in the Cherokee War. The Cherokee lost and the British believed that coercion was the way of dealing with the Natives. New reforms and restrictions caused more problems and resulted in the Pontiac's War. Even though it ended in a stalemate of sorts, the Natives now also thought that they could use force to dissuade the British from their plans. Continued illegal settling of the land and tensions between the British colonists and the Native Americans resulted in conflicts and disputes for decades to come.