Historical Analysis: Aboriginal Policy in Canada from 1763 to 1876

This essay examines the historical development of British Crown policy concerning the First Nations (Aboriginals of Canada) from the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to the Indian Act of 1876. It analyzes the factors shaping the direction and character of this policy, including the Seven Years' War and colonial expansion. The essay concludes that the diminishing strategic importance of the Aboriginals in the eyes of the British led to a significant transformation in the Crown's approach, shifting from a policy of coexistence driven by security concerns to one of control and assimilation, impacting land ownership and sovereignty. The study references significant works that provide a foundation for understanding the complex interplay between colonization, indigenous rights, and governmental policies in Canada.

Running head: ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
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Aboriginals in Canada
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ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
Abstract
The article discusses the historical development of the British Crown’s policy
regarding representatives of the First Nations (Aboriginals of Canada) from the time of the
publication of the Royal Proclamation in 1763 to the adoption of the Indian Act in 1876. The
factors determining the direction and character of the so-called. "Indian politics." It is
concluded that the weakening of the Aboriginals of Canada and the loss of their strategic
importance in the eyes of the British led to a qualitative transformation of the Crown’s policy
towards these indigenous people.
Keywords: Aboriginals of Canada, Canada, Seven Years War, Royal Proclamation, Indian
Act, colonization of North America.
Introduction
In October 1763, after the end of the Seven Years War, the Royal Proclamation was
issued - a normative act regulating the arrangement of colonial possessions in Canada
received by Great Britain from France as a result of the Seven Years War (Harvey &
Lawrenchuk, 2017). This act was supposed to resolve issues relating to the territorial and
administrative structure of the newly acquired colonies. But he also contained provisions
affecting the relations of the inhabitants of the British colonies in North America with the
Aboriginals of Canada. Why, in a situation where the arrangement of the French-speaking
colony should be the most pressing problem in North America for the British (and, moreover,
the prevention of discontent among the French Canadians), the British crown was concerned
about the regulation of relations with the aboriginals in Canada. However, in addition to this
problem, there was another, even more potentially dangerous and serious conflict between.
Impact of proclamation Act on Canada

ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
Colonialists took land from the Aboriginals of Canada and carried out attacks on their
tribes. Intensive colonization of land by whites naturally provoked resistance to the
indigenous people. Moreover, the intensification of colonization and its aggressive nature
created the conditions for consolidating the efforts of various tribes (Belanger, 2019). This
situation posed a serious threat to stability and security in the colonies. The acquisition of
French (and Spanish) colonies fueled the appetites of the white settlers and, therefore, could
provoke an influx of colonists into the newly acquired territories. This in turn meant the
exacerbation of the conflict of whites with the Aboriginals of Canada. Therefore, King
George III in his proclamation forbade his subjects to acquire land belonging to the
Aboriginals of Canada (Lalonde et al, 2016). In the Royal Proclamation, he acts as an
advocate for the indigenous people, whose lands the British colonists take away through
“fraud and abuse”.
At the same time, judging by the content of the proclamation, the ban has a special
imperative character. In particular, it contains the following line. Of course, land acquisition
was of immense proportions and, moreover, was accompanied by deception of the indigenous
people. However, the purpose of this ban of the king was due not to moral prerequisites, but
to real interests, which at that time consisted in ensuring the security of the colonies
(MacDonald, & Steenbeek, 2015). The British crown feared that uncontrolled and aggressive
colonization could induce Native American tribes to take decisive action. Their fears were
not unfounded: in 1763, almost immediately after the end of the Seven Years War, the
aboriginal leader leader Pontiac called on the Indian tribes to unite and attack British
settlements.
The British then suffered serious losses, and they had to negotiate peace with the
Aboriginals of Canada. The aggressive policy of colonization in the conditions of the small
number of colonists threatened to turn into a flare-up of conflict between whites and

ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
Aboriginals of Canada, which created serious risks for the realization of the colonial
adventure of Great Britain in North America. The Aboriginals of Canada threatened the
security of the colonial possessions (Ramraj, et al,2016).
Colonization by the British
That is why the king strictly forbade the "oppression and alarm" of the Aboriginals of
Canada, whose aggression the colonists themselves provoked by their own actions. The
security issue forced the UK to adopt a special approach to relations with the Aboriginals of
Canada, which can be described as “coexistence”. The essence of this policy was to maintain
peace with the tribes. To achieve this, it was necessary to contain colonization and prohibit
further seizure of land by colonists. Thus, the metropolis showed moderation in the
implementation of its colonial policy. However, the ban on the settlement of Indian territories
did not mean that the British Kaya Empire refused to capture new territories. Moreover, from
the royal ban to settle on lands reserved for the Aboriginals of Canada, it was not at all
followed that the Aboriginals of Canada were recognized as the sovereign owners of these
lands. According to this provision, the king extends sovereignty to Indian lands. The lands
themselves belong to the Aboriginals of Canada, as evidenced by the mention of the right of
the crown to purchase land (Siddiqi, et al,2017).
In other words, the land is owned by the Aboriginals of Canada themselves, and not
by the king, who, nevertheless, has the right to acquire them. However, the king, recognizing
the property rights of Aboriginals of Canada to the land, at the same time extends his
sovereign power both to the Aboriginals of Canada and to their lands. Aboriginals of Canada
from the sovereign masters of their land became simple owners. The British Empire never
abandoned plans for further colonization, but kept its pace for the sake of preserving the
already existing colonies. The Aboriginals of Canada were doomed to lose their lands.

ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
Achieving British domination in North America was a strategic goal of the British, and the
course of "coexistence" with the Aboriginals of Canada was a tactical ploy, necessary only
during the accumulation of power (Stewart, 2016). However, the moderation of the
authorities in relations with the Aboriginals of Canada did not appeal to the white settlers
themselves, who lived in the British colonies in North America. Moreover, they were irritated
by the king’s prohibition to occupy new lands and his command to those who had already
settled on them to return to the colonies (the Royal Proclamation strictly demanded that
British settlers leave the lands reserved for the Aboriginals of Canada.
Growth of Indian population
The population of the colonies increased (if in 1760 the population of the thirteen
colonies was about 1.5 million people, then in 1776 it increased to 2.5 million people), and
the land in the inhabited territory of the colonies became less. The growth of the population
of the colonies created a situation in which the colonists would ultimately have to, in spite of
the threat from the Aboriginals of Canada, look for new lands. The outbreak of the war of
independence almost put an end to the presence of Britain in North America (Trinh, et al,
2017). The American Revolution seriously undermined the position of British domination on
this continent, separating 13 colonies from other colonial possessions of the British crown on
the North American continent.
In other words, the British colonists themselves, who nevertheless felt themselves no
longer British, but Americans, created both a threat to British domination and an obstacle to
the spread of the power of the British crown in North America. Moreover, another actor
(USA) appeared who, along with the British Empire, sought to colonize Indian lands. The
lands of the newly acquired British of Canada are now the stronghold of the British

ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
authorities. Thus began the competition between the United States and the British Empire
(later Canada) for the development of western territories (Williams & Gill, 2017).
Conclusion
In this situation, the British crown was beneficial to have not just peaceful, but allied
relations with many Indian tribes.the aboriginals had to reclaim their land back. In other
words, the Aboriginals of Canada were exhausted by the war and could not continue to
continue active and consolidated resistance to colonization, carried out by the British.
However, the moderation of the authorities in relations with the Aboriginals of Canada did
not appeal to the white settlers themselves, who lived in the British colonies in North
America.

ABORIGINALS IN CANADA
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