The Paxton Boys (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Notes
The Paxton Boys
Background and context
The end of Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763 created serious tensions between frontier settlers and Indigenous peoples in Pennsylvania. While colonial authorities wanted peace with Native American tribes, many frontier settlers felt the government had failed to protect them during the conflict. This frustration would soon explode into violence through the actions of a group known as the Paxton Boys.
The period following Pontiac's Rebellion was marked by deep mistrust between colonial authorities, who sought diplomatic solutions, and frontier communities, who felt abandoned and vulnerable to future attacks.
Who were the Paxton Boys?
The Paxton Boys formed as a vigilante group of local militia members, primarily made up of Scots-Irish settlers from Pennsylvania. These men took the law into their own hands because they believed the Pennsylvania colonial government was not doing enough to prevent attacks by Indigenous tribes on frontier settlements.
Key definition: A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands, acting outside official legal channels.
The group's formation directly responded to their anger over Pontiac's Rebellion and what they saw as the government's weak response to frontier violence.
The Lancaster massacre, December 1763
The Paxton Boys' most notorious action occurred in December 1763 when they targeted the peaceful Conestoga tribe. Over 50 members of the group murdered six Conestoga people who had converted to Christianity and posed no threat to colonial settlements.
The violence didn't end there. The remaining Conestoga people, seeking safety, had fled to Lancaster for protection. However, the Paxton Boys tracked them down and killed another 14 Conestoga individuals who were sheltering in the town. These Indigenous people had played no part in Pontiac's Rebellion and had actually fled to Pennsylvania to escape the fighting, making the attacks particularly brutal and unjustified.
The Lancaster massacre was especially shocking because the victims were peaceful, Christian converts who had actively sought colonial protection. The total of 20 deaths represented the complete destruction of the Conestoga community in Pennsylvania.
March on Philadelphia, 1764
Emboldened by their actions and frustrated that no one had been prosecuted for the Lancaster murders, the Paxton Boys decided to take their campaign further. In early 1764, they marched towards Philadelphia with the intention of killing more Indigenous Americans who had sought refuge in the city after converting to Christianity.
This march represented a direct challenge to colonial authority and threatened to bring frontier violence into Pennsylvania's most important city. However, the group was stopped at Germantown before reaching Philadelphia by a delegation that included the famous Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin's intervention was crucial in preventing what could have become a massacre in Philadelphia itself. His diplomatic skills helped defuse a situation that threatened to spiral into widespread urban violence.
Franklin and other colonial leaders negotiated with the Paxton Boys, offering them two key concessions:
- Greater protection for frontier settlements
- An amnesty (official pardon) for the murders they had committed, meaning they could not be prosecuted
Impact and consequences of the Paxton Boys
The actions of the Paxton Boys revealed several important weaknesses in colonial Pennsylvania and had lasting effects on frontier relations:
Government control issues
The events demonstrated that Pennsylvania authorities could not effectively control their own settlers. The fact that the government had to negotiate with vigilantes rather than arrest them showed the limits of colonial power on the frontier.
Breakdown of the Proclamation Line
The Paxton Boys' actions proved that the Proclamation Line was largely ineffective. This boundary was supposed to prevent settlement on Indigenous land and reduce conflicts, but people simply ignored colonial authorities when it came to frontier matters.
Increased frontier support
Rather than being condemned, the Paxton Boys gained considerable support among people living on the frontier. Many settlers saw them as heroes who were willing to take action when the government would not.
Indigenous relations
The violence made peace negotiations with Indigenous peoples much more difficult. It created fear of mob rule in Pennsylvania and showed that even peaceful, Christian Indigenous communities were not safe from settler violence.
Long-term tensions
The events highlighted the growing divide between eastern colonial elites (who wanted peaceful relations with Indigenous peoples) and frontier settlers (who often favoured more aggressive approaches).
Timeline of key events
- 1763 (end): Pontiac's Rebellion concludes, leaving frontier tensions high
- December 1763: Paxton Boys murder six Conestoga people, then kill 14 more in Lancaster
- Early 1764: Paxton Boys march towards Philadelphia
- 1764: Benjamin Franklin stops the march at Germantown and negotiates amnesty
Key Points to Remember:
- The Paxton Boys were Scots-Irish vigilantes who took frontier law into their own hands after Pontiac's Rebellion
- They massacred 20 peaceful Conestoga people in Lancaster in December 1763, despite these Indigenous people having no involvement in recent conflicts
- Their 1764 march on Philadelphia was stopped by Benjamin Franklin, who negotiated an amnesty for their crimes
- The events showed that Pennsylvania authorities could not control frontier settlers and that the Proclamation Line was ineffective
- The Paxton Boys gained significant support among frontier settlers, revealing the deep divide between colonial elites and ordinary settlers over Indigenous relations