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The American Revolution
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of growth and prosperity. In fact, Britain’s victory contained the seeds of
conflict with the very colonies it had just successfully defended.
A Controversial Proclamation
The Seven Years’ War had cost Great Britain a huge sum of money. By
war’s end, the Crown was deeply in debt. As they grappled with how to
handle the debt, King George III and his ministers made a series of deci-
sions regarding the future of the North American colonies.
In October 1763, King George issued a proclamation. It dealt with
several important issues. But for people in the 13 colonies, one issue
in particular stood out. The Royal
Proclamation of 1763 barred colo-
nists from settling west of the Appa-
lachians, a mountain system run-
ning from Canada through northern
Georgia. Those who had already
moved across the Appalachians
were ordered to move back. The
land was to be reserved for Indi-
ans. This, the king and his ministers
believed, would avoid constant—
and expensive—warfare between
colonists and Indians.
The proclamation upset many
colonists. They coveted new land.
In the end, colonists simply ignored
the proclamation’s ban on settling
west of the Appalachians. Clearly,
Great Britain couldn’t count on the
American colonists’ blind obedience
to royal authority.
A proclamation issued by King George III
announcing the end of the French and Indian War.
After the conflict ended, the British government
imposed new taxes on the colonies, and prevented
Americans from settling in lands to the west of
the Appalachian Mountains. These actions made
many Americans angry and resentful.