978-1-4222-3353-5

10

The American Revolution

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.