Treaty of Hard Labour facts for kids
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was a rule made by King George III of Great Britain. It set a western border for the British colonies in North America. This rule was meant to keep settlers and Native American tribes apart. However, many settlers and people who wanted to buy land were already living west of this line. They wanted the border to move further west to include them.
To solve this problem, two important agreements were made: the Treaty of Hard Labour and the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. These treaties aimed to change the land boundaries and make everyone happy.
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What Was the Treaty of Hard Labour?
The Treaty of Hard Labour was signed on October 17, 1768. A British representative named John Stuart signed it with the Cherokee tribe. In this agreement, the Cherokee gave up their claims to a large area of land.
Where Was This Land?
This land was west of the Allegheny Mountains and east of the Ohio River. It included almost all of what is now the state of West Virginia, except for a small part in the southwest.
How Was the Border Drawn?
The new border line started where the Ohio River and the Kanawha River meet. It then followed the Kanawha River to its beginning. From there, it went south all the way to Spanish East Florida.
What Was the Treaty of Fort Stanwix?
Just one month after the Treaty of Hard Labour, another important agreement was signed. This was the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. It was signed with the Iroquois people.
How Did It Change Things?
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix created a different border line. This new line followed the Ohio River all the way to where it meets the Tennessee River. This caused a problem because it moved the Cherokee's land boundaries even further west than what the Treaty of Hard Labour had set. The two treaties had different ideas about where the land should end.
The Treaty of Lochaber
Because of the confusion and conflict, the border line had to be changed again. In 1770, the Treaty of Lochaber was signed. This treaty redrew the line that was first set by the Treaty of Hard Labour. It helped to sort out the land claims and make the boundaries clearer for everyone involved.
