The primary participants in the Seven Years War, known as the French and Indian War in the British Colonies, were France and Great Britain. The basic premise of the war was to determine who would gain control of North America. The war began in 1754 and ended in 1763 with France’s defeat. The Treaty of Paris between France and Great Britain turned over all French lands in North America to the British with the exception of New Orleans which was passed onto Spain. While this was a victory for Great Britain, this could be put into the category of be careful what you wish for. The defeat of France and the resulting cession of North America to Great Britain caused several problems for Great Britain from the start. Having gained so much land at once and the resulting colonial migration east stretched many of Great Britain’s resources thin. It also created conflict with the Native Indians and French settlers who occupied the lands east of the Appalachian Mountains. The Indians felt that France did not have the ability to give their land to the British while the French settlers were reluctant to give up land that they had settled. Great Britain’s response to these concerns was the Royal Proclamation of 1763. The proclamation …show more content…
The Indians were encouraged by the proclamation as it, at least on the surface, appeared to guarantee them lands that they thought were theirs to begin with. The British were hopeful that this would prevent a mass migration west that they were unprepared for and probably incapable of controlling due to the costs already incurred in the Seven Years War and the lack of support by the British people for continued conflicts in the British Colonies. The colonists were less than pleased with the proclamation. Many were aggrieved that Britain would give land to the Indians who they considered enemies and who were responsible for the killing of thousands of