The Effects of the Proclamation of 1763 on Tribal Sovereignty

Placard 2

STI Curriculum

Elementary US History, American Revolution

Directions: Read the following article about the effects of the Proclamation of 1763 on

Indian Nations. Use the information to answer the questions below. Be prepared to share

these responses with the class or your teacher.

The end of the French and Indian War in 1763 was a cause for great celebration in the colonies, for it removed several

ominous barriers and opened up a host of new opportunities for the colonists. The French had effectively hemmed in the

British settlers and had, from the perspective of the settlers, played the "Indians" against them. The first thing on the

minds of colonists was the great western frontier that had opened to them when the French ceded that contested

territory to the British. The royal proclamation of 1763 did much to dampen that celebration. The

proclamation, in effect, closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King and his council presented the

proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that the colonists would drive them

from their lands as they expanded westward. Many in the colonies felt that the object was to pen them in along

the Atlantic seaboard where they would be easier to regulate. No doubt there was a large measure of truth in both of

these positions. However the colonists could not help but feel a strong resentment when what they perceived to be their

prize was snatched away from them. The proclamation provided that all lands west of the heads of all rivers which

flowed into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or northwest were off-limits to the colonists. This excluded the rich Ohio

Valley and all territory from the Ohio to the Mississippi rivers from settlement.

The Proclamation of 1763 established two key principles:

a. Great Britain would deal with Indian tribes in government-to-government

relationships. The King:

i. recognized Indians as political entities (like other territory-controlling nations of Europe)

and

ii. pledged to use diplomacy, warfare, and treaty processes in dealing with Indians.

b. Conflict would be avoided if there were clear Indian Country and British boundaries.

This was difficult for Indians to accept, because “it implied that the British possession of the land

east of the line [drawn in the Proclamation] were legitimate, the result of warfare, treaty and purchase.” (Indian Country

Harvey and Harjo, p 111) but since colonists ignored the Proclamation, and the king did not enforce it, the paper was

meaningless. Indians began killing encroachers.

Be The Expert:

1. Explain at least two ways the Proclamation of 1763 affected the tribal sovereignty of eastern tribal nations.

2. Why do you think the Proclamation of 1763 led to Pontiac’s War?

3. Why was the border between the colonies and Indian Country so difficult for tribes to accept?

Other Resources:

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/proc63.htm