"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... will never regain it."
— George Washington, letter to William Crawford, 1767
Which of the following conflicts in the late eighteenth century is most directly reflected by the attitude toward western land acquisition expressed in the excerpt?
- The growing tension between colonists' desire for westward expansion and British imperial efforts to restrict frontier settlementAnswer
- BThe debate over whether the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution provided the federal government with the power to manage territorial acquisitions
- CThe ideological split between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans over whether to support British control of western military posts
- DThe effort by colonial assemblies to establish mercantilist trade networks that excluded British merchants from frontier commerce
Answer
The growing tension between colonists' desire for westward expansion and British imperial efforts to restrict frontier settlement
The correct answer is correct because the letter directly highlights the tension between British imperial policy (specifically the Proclamation of 1763, which sought to limit westward expansion to avoid costly conflicts with Native Americans) and the determination of colonists, including land speculators like George Washington, to continue migrating westward and claiming land.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Proclamation of 1763 and colonial resistance to British restrictions on westward migration.