The Proclamation of 1763 angered
Americans intensely: during the French and Indian War,
they had believed they were fighting, at least in part, for their
right to expand and settle west of the Appalachians. Many firmly
believed that this land was theirs for the taking. The proclamation
thus came as a shock. Many colonists chose to ignore the proclamation
and move westward anyway. This issue was the first of many that
would ultimately split America from Britain.
