Podcast – Royal Proclamation of 1763

Royal Proclamation of 1763
Today I will talk about the Proclamation of 1763 and its effect on the American colonists.
From the Book
A Day in United States History – Book 1

Transcript:

Greetings, today I will talk about the Proclamation of 1763 and its effect on the American colonists.

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The Seven Years War, known as the French and Indian War in North America, ended with the Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1763. The French, by virtue of the treaty, yielded to the British vast stretches of land in North America and the Caribbean Sea.

The French and Indian War, known internationally as the Seven Years War, had begun with a French victory over an inexperienced twenty-two year old George Washington in Pennsylvania on May 28, 1754 at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. It ended with the last North American battle, the Battle of Signal Hill in Nova Scotia on September 15, 1760. In the intervening years, the French had lost an empire. The Treaty of Paris, finalized on February 10, 1763, saw the end of the French presence in North America and the beginning of British dominance.

French possessions in North America and the Caribbean included Canada, East and West Florida and Grenada. When the British occupied this territory, large populations of French citizens remained. French settlements stretched along the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. These French citizens now found themselves under the control of their traditional rivals, the English.

Hundreds of native tribes occupied the lands known as the Ohio Valley. Future states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana lay within the confines of this vast tract of land. Thousands of natives farmed, hunted and lived in this expanse of land. Most were accustomed to dealing with the French and now found themselves dealing with new challenges.

Britain found itself with millions of acres of new, valuable lands. However, the war had stretched British resources to the limit. The government bore a huge financial debt because of the war. Governing this new asset would provide fresh challenges for a government already pushed to its limits.

The American colonists had made grave sacrifices fighting the war. Marauding French and Indian troops had destroyed villages, crops and farms. Many had died in the attacks and the war effort had taxed colonial assemblies’ finances as well. As a reward, the colonists expected that they would be allowed to settle in the new areas now free of French control.

The war ended with the Treaty of Paris, leaving Britain with new challenges. In an attempt to manage these challenges, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763 on October 7, 1763. The Proclamation established boundaries for four new English provinces, Quebec, Grenada, East Florida and West Florida. It also established a line roughly along the Appalachian Mountains, west of which British colonists were forbidden to settle. They could travel there to explore or trade with the natives, but not establish settlements. The treaty forbade private citizens or colonies from purchasing land from the natives, reserving the right to purchase lands to the Crown. The Proclamation also awarded land to people that had served in the military. It granted 5000 acres to field officers, 2000 acres to staff officers, 200 acres to non-commission officers and 50 acres to enlisted men.

The Proclamation effectively banned settlement in the area west of the Appalachian Mountains, in spite of the fact that many colonists had already established villages there. Many, like Daniel Boone, had explored the area and desired the lands. Many historians feel the Proclamation in part sparked the Revolution twelve years later. However, later treaties with the Indians opened up areas for settlement. It is probable that it combined with many other resentments the colonists felt to trigger the later War of Independence.

Written in a “this day in history,” format, each of the two books in this collection of North American colonial history events includes 366 history stories. The historical collection of tales includes many well-known as well as some little-known events in the saga of the United States. The easy to follow “this day in history,” format covers a wide range of the people, places and events of early American history. I is the first book in my series, 366 Days in History Series. Each book includes 366 stories of American history. It is availble, with many of my other titles on gardening, Indiana places and history and United States History, at the Romweber Marketplace in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
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