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Difficulty: MediumThe Seven Years' War and Imperial Reorganization

"I can never look upon that Proclamation in any other light... than as a temporary expedient to quiet the minds of the Indians and must fall of course in a few years, especially when those Indians are consenting to our occupying the lands. Any person therefore who neglects the present opportunity of hunting out good lands and in some measure marking them for his own, to the purpose of keeping others from them... will never get the like opportunity."

— George Washington, letter to William Crawford, 1767

Which of the following developments in the British North American colonies after the Seven Years' War is most directly reflected in the sentiments expressed in the excerpt?

  1. The determination of colonists to bypass British restrictions on westward migration and land speculation.Answer
  2. B
    The demand by colonial merchants for the complete abolition of British mercantilist navigation laws to promote domestic industrial manufacturing.
  3. C
    The immediate mobilization of armed colonial militias to declare independence in response to the Sugar and Stamp Acts.
  4. D
    The colonial expectation that a strong federal constitution would immediately be drafted to resolve western boundary disputes.

Answer

The determination of colonists to bypass British restrictions on westward migration and land speculation.
The correct option is correct because George Washington's letter highlights how colonists and speculators viewed the Proclamation of 1763 as a temporary measure that they could bypass. Instead of accepting the boundary line, colonists actively searched for and marked western lands, demonstrating the failure of the British government to effectively restrict westward migration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document, identifying the author (George Washington), the year (1767), and the core topic (a proclamation restricting land acquisition).
The document refers to the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Identifying the specific historical context is necessary to understand the speaker's motivations and target policy.
2
Interpret the author's attitude towards the proclamation.
Washington views the proclamation as a 'temporary expedient' and encourages the recipient to secure western land privately before others do.
This reveals the colonial mindset regarding British attempts to limit expansion after the Seven Years' War.
3
Connect the author's specific mindset to the broader historical developments of the era.
The passage illustrates that many colonists refused to comply with imperial boundary restrictions, actively seeking ways to bypass them.
This links the specific primary source evidence to the broader historical trend of colonial resistance to British imperial reorganization.

Key Concept

Colonial resistance to the Proclamation of 1763 and imperial attempts to limit westward expansion.
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Topics

The Seven Years' War and Imperial Reorganization

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