Proclamation of 1763

Proclamation by King George III that prohibited Europeans from settling on land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation gave Americans Indians land titles for the first time, but angered American colonists who felt Britain was interfering with their right to govern their own lands.

The proclamation was in large part a reaction to fear of American Indian hostilities, as seen in the start of Pontiac's War 1763–65. The proclamation also established the provinces of East Florida, West Florida, Québec (now in Canada), and Grenada, all formed from new lands acquired by Britain after the Seven Years War.