After the French and Indian War, (also known globally as the Seven Years’ War) Great Britain won a lot of land from the French west of the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists, inspired by the war, were eager to move to these new lands. This affected Indigenous groups living there, who fought against the colonists' movements in Pontiac’s Rebellion. This conflict started in May 1763 and led to hundreds of deaths on both sides. British officials wanted to end the rebellion and build trust with the Indigenous peoples. Also, the king and British Parliament wanted time to make a long-term plan for the area west of the Appalachian Mountains. So, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763 on October 7th, 1763.

The proclamation said two important things. The first was that no colonists could build homes west of the Appalachian Mountains. The second required that colonists who had already moved west of the Appalachian Mountains return to the eastern side of the mountains. Because it was a royal decree (issued by the king), neither the colonists nor the Indigenous peoples had any say in it. The plan was supposed to be short-term and only used until a better agreement could be made with the Indigenous peoples. Unfortunately for the king, the colonists didn’t see it that way.

These new rules angered colonists. They believed they had earned the land by fighting in the French and Indian War. Some even had farms in the territory before the war and had to find new homes back east. Wealthy colonists had also already spent money on speculative land companies. These companies hoped to make money by buying large areas of western land from the British government and reselling the land to settlers as they moved across the Appalachian Mountains. The investors, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, lost a lot of money. These losses would be remembered in the years leading up to the American Revolution.

Student Inquiry

1. Do you think the Proclamation of 1763 was a good solution? Why or why not? What would you have done differently?

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