What was the Proclamation of 1763? Learn about the Proclamation Line of 1763, facts, and its effects, and learn the purpose of the proclamation of 1763.
Updated: 08/13/2021
Royal Proclamation of 1763: Purpose and Significance
What was the Royal Proclamation of 1763?
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was a document outlining the organization and management of the lands in North America recently transferred from the French by the Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years War, which was also called The French and Indian War by the British colonists in America.
Who Issued the Royal Proclamation?
 |
On October 7, 1763, the British King George III issued his Royal Proclamation of 1763.
What was the Purpose of the Royal Proclamation of 1763?
Along with the Treaty of Paris, signed by Britain and France on November 3, 1762, and put into effect on February 10, 1763, the Royal Proclamation provided for the organization and management of the territory newly acquired by Britain from France and it set limits to British colonial westward expansion.
The Proclamation Line of 1763
We've all seen 'No Trespassing' signs posted in various locations. These signs can be found everywhere, and the message is always clear—stay out! Now, imagine that you spend years struggling at work to save enough money to finally buy your own property and, to your horror and disbelief, someone has placed a dreaded 'No Trespassing' signs all over the property of your dreams. The bank that owns the land has decided not to sell at this time, dashing your hopes and aspirations.
Now, take the above scenario, and place it in the year 1763. For decades, British colonists living in places like Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have had their eyes on some beautiful property located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The area was fertile and unspoiled and perfect for setting and establishing farms and homesteads. However, in 1763, the British government decided to place figurative 'No Trespassing' signs on the border of this property, forbidding these colonists from expanding across the Appalachians Mountains. This 'No Trespassing' sign was known as the Proclamation Line of 1763. Issued by King George III, the proclamation prohibited settlers from crossing west over the Appalachian Mountains in order to prevent further conflicts between settlers and Native Americans.
You must cCreate an account to continue watching
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?
Create Your Account To Continue Watching
As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.
Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons.
Try it now
It only takes a few minutes to setup and you can cancel any time.
Already registered? Log in here for access
BackResources created by teachers for teachers
Over 30,000 video lessons
& teaching resources‐all
in one place.
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Back
Your next lesson will play in
10 seconds
Background and Context
The conflict between the British and the French in North America began in 1754 over who would control the land of the Ohio River Valley and became part of what Winston Churchill called the first global war when hostilities erupted in Europe in 1756, engulfing France, Britain, Spain, Saxony, Austria, and Prussia. The wars ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The war in North America between France and Great Britain was a conflict of two imperialistic powers vying for control over North America and the Caribbean.
The French and Indian War
The global war between France and Great Britain was called The French and Indian War by the British colonists, and the War of Conquest by the French Canadians. Beginning in 1754, the British and their Native American allies (primarily the Iroquois, Catawba, and Cherokee nations) and the French and their Native American allies (primarily the Ottawa, Huron, Shawnee, and Abenaki nations) battled in an area from Virginia up to Newfoundland. Britain and France both suffered a loss of territory during the war, and both sides were weary of the War in 1762 and negotiated the Treaty of Paris to end it in 1763.
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris realigned the territories of France, Spain, and Great Britain in North America and the Caribbean. The British gained control of most of Canada. The French ceded all of their territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain and all territory west of the Mississippi to Spain including New Orleans. Spain, even though they had lost Havana to the British, would retain Cuba but they ceded Florida to the British. The French regained possession of all the Caribbean islands they had lost to the British in the War. No Native American nations were a part of the Treaty of Paris even though numerous nations had been allies of both the French and the British. This fact demonstrated that all European powers refused to acknowledge any claims of sovereignty other than their own.
Proclamation of 1763: Facts and Provisions
George III issued his Proclamation because he desired ''that all Our loving Subjects, as well of our Kingdom as of our Colonies in America, may avail themselves with all convenient Speed, of the great Benefits and Advantages which must accrue therefrom to their Commerce, Manufactures, and Navigation'' due to the acquisition of formerly French territory in North America.
 |
The Proclamation established governments and delineated boundaries for the following territories gained from the French.
- Quebec
- East Florida
- West Florida
- Grenada
The Proclamation went into detail about how the colonial governors of the three new North American colonies should set up their administrations, courts and assemblies, and their dealings with new immigrants.
George III wanted to reward those who had fought in the French and Indian War on his behalf. The Proclamation established the rewards.
- ''To every Person having the Rank of a Field Officer - 5,000 Acres''
- ''To every Captain - 3,000 Acres''
- ''To every Subaltern or Staff Officer - 2,000 Acres''
- ''To every Non Commission Officer - 200 Acres''
- ''To every Private Man - 50 Acres''
The King gave his governors the authorization to offer similar grants of land to members of the Navy.
The rest of the Royal Proclamation dealt with what has become known as The Proclamation Line, the limits that George III set against the westward expansion of British colonists.
The Proclamation Line
 |
The Proclamation Line was an imaginary line running north and south along the top ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. This aspect of the Proclamation was to have enormous future consequences. George III first outlined the reason for the Line.
''And whereas it is just and reasonable, and essential to our Interest, and the Security of our Colonies, that the several Nations or Tribes of Indians with whom We are connected, and who live under our Protection, should not be molested or disturbed in the Possession of such Parts of our Dominions and Territories as, not having been ceded to or purchased by Us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as their Hunting Grounds.''
- No Governor of any new or any old colony could offer any land grants passed the Proclamation Line
- All land west from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River that was under British control was designated as a ''Reserve'' for the use of ''Said Indians.''
- All ''Our loving Subjects'' were forbidden to purchase any land west of the Proclamation Line without the explicit approval of the Crown.
- Any British settlers already living west of the Proclamation Line were commanded to ''remove themselves from such Settlements.''
- No private individual would be allowed to purchase land in a private sale from any Native American nation. Such purchase could only be made by the Crown in a public meeting with the Native American Nation.
Effects of the Proclamation Line
Loss of Native American nation leverage - Pontiac's War
The Royal Proclamation, coupled with the Treaty of Paris, was the destruction of the negotiating power in international relations between the various Native American Nations and the British. No longer could the Native Americans use the French as a counterpoint in negotiations. One example is Pontiac's War which lasted from the late spring of 1763 to early 1765. Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawas, put together a large and diverse coalition of Native American nations to initiate a war against the British in order to force them out of the Ohio Country and the Great Lakes area back across the Appalachian Mountains. Pontiac gathered his allies and started the war with the attack upon Fort Detroit and its subsequent 6-month long siege because he thought that the French would act as his allies. He was unaware of the Treaty of Paris. When, in November 1763, Pontiac learned of the expulsion of the French from his theater of war, he halted the siege of Detroit and eventually negotiated peace with the British.
British American Colonist Anger
Another significant effect of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 was the anger of the colonists in the already settled British colonies along the Atlantic seaboard. Many settlers and land speculators already had land grants on the west side of the Proclamation Line. As a result of the French and Indian War, George Washington had been given hundreds of acres in Ohio. The British colonies of Virginia and Massachusetts especially wanted to immediately enjoy the spoils of war, namely all the land from the Appalachians to the Mississippi as a reward for the victory. To them, the victory wasn't just a British victory but a colonial victory as well. Immediately, prominent American British colonists began lobbying for the line to be moved.
Limiting Westward Expansion
The Proclamation Line had never been viewed as a permanently fixed boundary. George Washing told his land agent that the Proclamation Line was simply an expedient to mollify ''the Indians.'' From the perspective of King George III, it was a means to attempt to regulate interactions between British colonizers and Native Americans. The British Crown, already deeply in debt due to the Seven Years War, did not want the further expense of building and garrisoning forts on the frontier. Nevertheless, the Proclamation Line did slow down the westward movement of British colonizers. Several subsequent treaties between British colonies and Native American nations allowed for that expansion.
Proclamation of 1763 Significance
The British government was disastrously in debt as a result of the cost of the Seven Years War. Several British laws were passed about the same time as the Proclamation to raise revenue.
- The Sugar Act - actual title the American Revenue Act of 1764, expanded the tax on sugar and molasses to other goods and limited export of certain American commodities
- The Stamp Act - a tax on all paper documents passed in 1765.
- The Townshend Acts - a series of laws passed in 1767 that taxed goods imported into the American colonies.
The prohibitions of the Proclamation Line along with the revenue acts passed by Parliament to pay off the huge war debts which George III and his Privy Council as well as the British Parliament thought ought to be substantially covered by the British colonies in America who were one of the causes of the war and were major contributors to the American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson mentioned several grievances in the Declaration of Independence that were aimed directly at thcae Proclamation of 1763 and its prohibitions.
Lesson Summary
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was a document in which George III outlined the organization and administration of newly acquired lands from the French as a result of British victory in the French and Indian War. As a result of this victory, many British American colonists felt they were entitled to the quick exploitation of this former French territory as a reward for their contribution to the British victory.
The Royal Proclamation contained a provision which has become called the Proclamation Line which set a boundary between the British colonists and Native Americans that ran along the top ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation designated an ''Indian reserve'' west of the Appalachians, and forbid British settlement west of the Line. This prohibition caused immediate and intense anger among the British American colonists and was a significant cause of the American Revolution.
Historical Origins
French and Indian War
The origins of the proclamation begin in 1756, with the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War). This conflict pitted England against France for control over North America. Before the war, England controlled the eastern seaboard of the present day United States and parts of upper Canada, while France controlled most of present day Canada and most of the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Both countries coveted the Ohio River Valley, which became the contested border between the two expanding empires. Interestingly, the war began when the governor of Virginia sent a young George Washington into the Ohio River Valley to assess the French presence there and demand that they leave.
Virginians were especially interested in the Ohio River Valley as an area to expand settlement. This motivation was especially important when the proclamation line was put into place after the war. The war was extremely costly in both lives and money as it ravaged on for almost ten years. Many New Englanders contributed young men to the war effort and saw many of those young pay the ultimate sacrifice for their loyalty to the crown.
The Treaty of Paris and Pontiac's Rebellion
The Treaty of Paris (1763) officially ended the struggle, giving most of Canada and all land east of the Mississippi River to the British. Native Americans, who had been loyal to the French, felt especially dismayed by the treaty. No native delegation was permitted at the negotiations, and the French agreed to transfer their holdings to the British without consulting their native allies. Many tribes felt betrayed, since they still believed the Ohio River Valley to be under their control. The Ottawa tribe, under the leadership of Chief Pontiac, mounted a rebellion in 1763, against the British at Detroit. This attack encouraged other tribes in the Great Lakes to also rebel, leading to a larger conflict known as Pontiac's Rebellion. Even though the British put down this rebellion, King George III felt uneasy about the turbulent circumstance in this area.
Issuing the Proclamation
To ease tensions and limit future costs associated with committing military forces to suppress native rebellion and protect colonial settlement, King George III issued the Proclamation Line of 1763. Britain already had a large debt following the French and Indian War and could not afford to take on more financial burdens. Settlers were forbidden 'from making any Purchases or Settlements whatsoever, or taking Possession of any of the Lands' within the area to the west of the Appalachian Mountains. Further, any settlers who already purchased lands from the natives in this area had to, 'remove themselves from such Settlements.'
Historical Consequences
This proclamation began a dramatic transformation in the relationship between Britain and her North American colonies. Most colonists reacted negatively to the Proclamation Line of 1763, feeling that the King had forgotten their contributions to the French and Indian War. Many considered the British victory over the French as a colonial victory as well. Colonists had contributed supplies and manpower toward that victory. Therefore, they deserved to reap the benefits of that victory by establishing settlements across the Appalachian Mountains.
It is important to remember that Virginia believed that Ohio was really an extension of its original land claims. The French and Indian War really began because of Virginia's attempts to remove French presence from the Ohio River Valley. Also, Massachusetts provided most of the colonial soldiers during the French and Indian War. These two colonies, Virginia and Massachusetts, protested the most against the proclamation. Over the next ten years following the proclamation line, these two colonies would also become the most vocal advocates for independence. While the road to the American Revolution was long and winding, it was, nevertheless, a road that began with the Proclamation Line of 1763.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. After the ravages of The French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion, King George III felt uneasy about the turbulent circumstances in this area. His response to the turmoil was to issue the Proclamation Line of 1763 which prohibited settlers from crossing west over the Appalachian Mountains in order to prevent further conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. This proclamation began a dramatic transformation in the relationship between Britain and her North American colonies. Most colonists reacted negatively to the Proclamation Line of 1763, feeling that the king had forgotten their contributions to the French and Indian War. They felt they deserved to reap the benefits of that victory by establishing settlements across the Appalachian Mountains.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Video Transcript
The Proclamation Line of 1763
We've all seen 'No Trespassing' signs posted in various locations. These signs can be found everywhere, and the message is always clear—stay out! Now, imagine that you spend years struggling at work to save enough money to finally buy your own property and, to your horror and disbelief, someone has placed a dreaded 'No Trespassing' signs all over the property of your dreams. The bank that owns the land has decided not to sell at this time, dashing your hopes and aspirations.
Now, take the above scenario, and place it in the year 1763. For decades, British colonists living in places like Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have had their eyes on some beautiful property located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The area was fertile and unspoiled and perfect for setting and establishing farms and homesteads. However, in 1763, the British government decided to place figurative 'No Trespassing' signs on the border of this property, forbidding these colonists from expanding across the Appalachians Mountains. This 'No Trespassing' sign was known as the Proclamation Line of 1763. Issued by King George III, the proclamation prohibited settlers from crossing west over the Appalachian Mountains in order to prevent further conflicts between settlers and Native Americans.
Historical Origins
French and Indian War
The origins of the proclamation begin in 1756, with the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War). This conflict pitted England against France for control over North America. Before the war, England controlled the eastern seaboard of the present day United States and parts of upper Canada, while France controlled most of present day Canada and most of the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Both countries coveted the Ohio River Valley, which became the contested border between the two expanding empires. Interestingly, the war began when the governor of Virginia sent a young George Washington into the Ohio River Valley to assess the French presence there and demand that they leave.
Virginians were especially interested in the Ohio River Valley as an area to expand settlement. This motivation was especially important when the proclamation line was put into place after the war. The war was extremely costly in both lives and money as it ravaged on for almost ten years. Many New Englanders contributed young men to the war effort and saw many of those young pay the ultimate sacrifice for their loyalty to the crown.
The Treaty of Paris and Pontiac's Rebellion
The Treaty of Paris (1763) officially ended the struggle, giving most of Canada and all land east of the Mississippi River to the British. Native Americans, who had been loyal to the French, felt especially dismayed by the treaty. No native delegation was permitted at the negotiations, and the French agreed to transfer their holdings to the British without consulting their native allies. Many tribes felt betrayed, since they still believed the Ohio River Valley to be under their control. The Ottawa tribe, under the leadership of Chief Pontiac, mounted a rebellion in 1763, against the British at Detroit. This attack encouraged other tribes in the Great Lakes to also rebel, leading to a larger conflict known as Pontiac's Rebellion. Even though the British put down this rebellion, King George III felt uneasy about the turbulent circumstance in this area.
Issuing the Proclamation
To ease tensions and limit future costs associated with committing military forces to suppress native rebellion and protect colonial settlement, King George III issued the Proclamation Line of 1763. Britain already had a large debt following the French and Indian War and could not afford to take on more financial burdens. Settlers were forbidden 'from making any Purchases or Settlements whatsoever, or taking Possession of any of the Lands' within the area to the west of the Appalachian Mountains. Further, any settlers who already purchased lands from the natives in this area had to, 'remove themselves from such Settlements.'
Historical Consequences
This proclamation began a dramatic transformation in the relationship between Britain and her North American colonies. Most colonists reacted negatively to the Proclamation Line of 1763, feeling that the King had forgotten their contributions to the French and Indian War. Many considered the British victory over the French as a colonial victory as well. Colonists had contributed supplies and manpower toward that victory. Therefore, they deserved to reap the benefits of that victory by establishing settlements across the Appalachian Mountains.
It is important to remember that Virginia believed that Ohio was really an extension of its original land claims. The French and Indian War really began because of Virginia's attempts to remove French presence from the Ohio River Valley. Also, Massachusetts provided most of the colonial soldiers during the French and Indian War. These two colonies, Virginia and Massachusetts, protested the most against the proclamation. Over the next ten years following the proclamation line, these two colonies would also become the most vocal advocates for independence. While the road to the American Revolution was long and winding, it was, nevertheless, a road that began with the Proclamation Line of 1763.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. After the ravages of The French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion, King George III felt uneasy about the turbulent circumstances in this area. His response to the turmoil was to issue the Proclamation Line of 1763 which prohibited settlers from crossing west over the Appalachian Mountains in order to prevent further conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. This proclamation began a dramatic transformation in the relationship between Britain and her North American colonies. Most colonists reacted negatively to the Proclamation Line of 1763, feeling that the king had forgotten their contributions to the French and Indian War. They felt they deserved to reap the benefits of that victory by establishing settlements across the Appalachian Mountains.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the 3 goals of the proclamation of 1763?
The goals of the Proclamation Line were to
1. Establish a ''reserve'' for Native American nations
2. Establish a Proclamation Line, a boundary between British colonists and Native Americans.
3. Establish four new colonies and their governments.
Why did the Proclamation Line of 1763 upset the colonists?
The colonists in American, especially those from Massachusetts and Virginia, were angry that the Proclamation Line set prohibition against British colonists settling past the Line. The colonists felt that their participation in the victory of the British over the French entitled them to possess the former French territory.
What was the Proclamation Line of 1763 and why was it significant?
The Proclamation Line was an imaginary boundary running generally along the highest points of the Appalachian Mountains which set a limit to the westward expansion of British colonists and established a ''reserve'' for Native Americans west of the Line.
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
BackResources created by teachers for teachers
Over 30,000 video lessons
& teaching resources‐all
in one place.
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Back
Proclamation Line of 1763 | Purpose & Facts
Related Study Materials
Explore our library of over 84,000 lessons
Browse by subject