Aimed at stabilizing relations during periods of intermittent conflict,
the renewals of 1749 and 1752 reaffirmed the original agreement and
provided for the establishment of the Truck House.
The 1760 renewal brought the Maliseet under the provisions of the Truck House
and also acknowledged the possibility of future non-Indigenous
settlement within East Coast Indigenous territories,
without fear of Indigenous reprisal.
Fluctuating tensions between the French, English, and their Indigenous allies
aaw the negotiation of over half-dozen treaties up and
down the East Coast between 1725 and 1779.
As the French and British empires entered into the final phase of their conflict for
northern North America,
these treaties served as the basis for critical alliances before
conflict ended with the conquest of New France in 1760.
As we shall see, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 sought to
protect Indigenous sovereignty and title to traditional lands
when facing what British officials knew would be increased settlement
demands after the conflict ended.
When France ceded its North American claims to
Britain after the Seven Years War,
colonial officials sought to stabilize their relationship with Indigenous peoples
residing within their new territories.
To this end, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation on October 7th, 1763
that acknowledged Indigenous land title, until such a time it was ceded by
treaty with the British Crown.
In other words, all lands of the North American interior and
west of the Appalachian mountains was considered off limits to settlers,
unless they were first ceded to the Crown during treaty negotiations.