A Disregard of the Proclamation of 1763:
A Prelude to Revolution
"Because it is bracketed between the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution, many scholars devoted to the history of early America have assigned little importance to the Pontiac Indian uprising. They might acknowledge that the conflict hastened into effect the hated Proclamation Line, which provided British officials with their first intimations of a revolutionary sentiment in America. For the most part, however, historians view the growth of colonial agitation from the perspective of the Atlantic seaboard communities of New York, Philadelphia, and especially Boston. While this 'urban crucible' of unrest cannot be denied, historians seeking the causes of the American Revolution should also look deeper into the interior of America- to the 'ends of the American earth.' The first crucible was formed when wealthy land speculators and poor backcountry farmers universally condemned the Proclamation Line."
-David Dixon
A Lost Culture
Betrayal at Fort Stanwix
"In the end, for those attempting to protect authority and capitalize on speculation, the Treaty of Fort Stanwix set the groundwork for the finale of a high-stakes game that had been unfolding since the end of the Seven Years War."
- Dr. William Campbell
It was possibly the most one-sided treaty in colonial history. Historian Ray Billington stated that, "Sir William Johnson mercilessly fleeced the Indians who trusted him as their protector in order to line his pockets with the acquisition of land in 1768. Johnson coerced those who trusted him most while concluding one of the worst treaties in the history of Anglo-Indian relationships." R. Douglas Hurt, another colonial historian, further stated, "...well aware of the opportunity, Johnson seized as much territory as possible under the guise of Indian support. The result proved less a negotiated, but more of a British imposed treaty."
More than any other action, this treaty ended any hope of Pontiac's people of gaining back their lands and solidified British control of their empire. "In the end, for a king's ransom," said William Campbell, "the Crown gained possession of what is today most of Western New York and Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and all lands claimed, but not occupied by the Iroquois."
More than any other action, this treaty ended any hope of Pontiac's people of gaining back their lands and solidified British control of their empire. "In the end, for a king's ransom," said William Campbell, "the Crown gained possession of what is today most of Western New York and Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and all lands claimed, but not occupied by the Iroquois."
"Fort Stanwix was a continuation of a laundry list of offenses against Native Americans dating back to Plymouth Rock and concluding with Wounded Knee. Never has one group in American history suffered so much for so long."
- Dr. William Campbell