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Difficulty: HardWestward Migration, Frontier Conflicts, and Border Treaties

"We apprehend that, as Freemen and English subjects, we have an indisputable title to the same privileges and immunities with those of our fellow-subjects who reside in the interior [eastern] counties... and therefore, that the dividing of the province into counties, without giving them even representation in the Assembly... is oppressive, and injurious, and a grievance of which we have just cause to complain...

During the late Indian war, the frontier inhabitants were left exposed to the savage cruelty of the enemy, and suffered unspeakable distresses... while the Assembly, instead of providing for our defense, spent their time in disputing about their own privileges..."

— "A Declaration and Remonstrance of the Distressed and Bleeding Inhabitants of the Province of Pennsylvania," 1764

The sentiments expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following persistent sources of conflict in eighteenth-century North America?

  1. A
    Disputes over the balance of power between state governments and a centralized federal authority
  2. Tensions between backcountry settlers and coastal elites over representation and frontier defenseAnswer
  3. C
    Debate between political factions regarding the federal government's role in commercial expansion
  4. D
    Cultural and religious disagreements between New England Puritans and Chesapeake tobacco planters

Answer

Tensions between backcountry settlers and coastal elites over representation and frontier defense
The correct answer is correct because the Paxton Boys' Remonstrance reflects the typical 18th-century pattern of frontier settlers in the western backcountry feeling ignored, underrepresented, and unprotected by the wealthier, politically dominant elites residing in the eastern coastal regions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source's author, date, and context.
The source is a 1764 remonstrance from the frontier inhabitants of Pennsylvania (the Paxton Boys) protesting to the provincial assembly.
Understanding the chronological context (colonial era, post-Seven Years' War/Pontiac's Rebellion) is essential for identifying the nature of the conflict.
2
Identify the core grievances expressed in the text.
The authors complain that the western counties have unequal representation in the colonial assembly compared to the eastern counties ('interior counties') and that the assembly failed to provide military defense during the frontier war.
This isolates the specific political and military issues driving the protest.
3
Correlate these grievances with broader historical trends in Period 3 (1754–1800).
The petition illustrates the persistent clash between western backcountry settlers, who sought expansion and security, and the eastern elites, who controlled the colonial government and favored restraint or lower expenditures.
This links the specific text to the targeted learning objective concerning westward migration and frontier conflicts.

Key Concept

The internal political and security tensions between western backcountry settlers and eastern elites in the colonial and early national eras.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Westward Migration, Frontier Conflicts, and Border Treaties

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