1763 - King George III issues proclamation

       King George III disenfranchised land syndicates in the colonies, declaring that Indians were entitled to occupy their lands without molestation.  The Appalachian ridgeline was established as a dividing line between the British settlements and Indian country.

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        Persons who had settled on land not ceded to Britain by the Indian tribes were ordered to remove themselves from Indian land.  Henceforth, purchases of Indian lands would be unlawful unless done in a public meeting of government representatives and Indian delegates.

        By 1773, American settlers were already ignoring the proclamation and setting up towns on the Ohio River between Pittsburg and the river's mouth.