What was the Proclamation of 1763 designed to do?

• A. Prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, to reduce frontier costs
• B. Banned all colonial trade with Britain
• C. Granted independence to some colonies
• D. Ended the Stamp Act

Answer: (A)

After the French and Indian War, Britain faced rising frontier costs and ongoing clashes with Native Americans as colonists moved west. The Proclamation of 1763 aimed to stabilize the frontier by drawing a boundary along the Appalachian Mountains that prohibited settlement west of it, in order to reduce military costs, potential conflicts, and the need for frequent enforcement. This makes the choice that states settlers were barred from moving west of the Appalachians to lower frontier costs the best answer. It wasn’t about banning colonial trade, granting independence, or ending the Stamp Act, which were separate actions tied to different issues and times.