Connecting History Classrooms to Canada:
A Year to Remember -- 1763
By Tina Storer, Center for Canadian-American Studies,
Western Washington University,
and Ruth Writer, Western Michigan University
The Backstory
Ruth Writer, a colleague at Western Michigan University, regularly writes book reviews for a newsletter that
I send to teachers interested in resources for teaching about Canada. Ruth usually focuses on Canadian
fiction in her literary reviews, but couldn’t resist reading and reviewing Colin G. G. Calloway’s non-fiction
text, The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America. Even though I wrote about the
formative history of Canada and the U.S. during the colonial period in this column last year (see the May
2012 article “The Seven Years’ War and Its Impact on the Destiny of North America”), I could not resist
revisiting the era with you now. I know NCHE members will find value in Calloway’s book, Ruth’s review,
and the numerous new activities and resources offered at the end of this article.
The Review
The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America is one of the volumes in the Oxford
University Press Pivotal Moments series and provides an in-depth look at key events in North America—
from Hudson’s Bay to the Florida Keys and even Cuba—that resulted from the end of the French and
Indian Wars (also called the Seven Years' War in Canada) and the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763).
This historical document, as we all know, formally made legal Britain’s conquest over the French in North
America. Calloway’s book offers so much more than what is usually described in school history texts. It is
simply a must-read book for all of us interested in the history of our continent.
Calloway, Professor of History at Dartmouth College, investigates not only the Treaty of Paris but also
Pontiac’s Rebellion and King George III’s Proclamation with a fresh lens. Calloway’s perspective reveals
how the various political players at the time spread their diverse viewpoints of the same events across the
continent. These players included the British conquering heroes, the French-Canadians freshly stripped of
their power, the neighboring American colonists yearning to push westward, the Spanish who by default
gained territory, and, of course, the countless indigenous peoples of North America fearful of the changes
that had passed and the future yet to come. It is simply fascinating to peel back the onion of our history as
we read his book.
Three chapters specifically deal with the impact of the Treaty of Paris on the French in America. Calloway
investigates the Francophone population living in Québec in 1763 as well as those living in what was
considered “the interior”—the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, and the Ohio River regions. He further
explores the importance of the transfer of Louisiana to the Spanish, back to the French, and finally over to
the Americans. He shows how the treaty brought not only an end to Nouvelle France but also set in motion
an eventual push for an independent United States in colonial America. He provides excellent and
thorough context to the events of that year.
I was particularly glad to learn more about two groups that were examined in detail: the exiled Jesuit
missionaries and the people of Acadia, some of whom eventually re-settled in areas west of New Orleans
in the American South, giving birth to the rich Cajun culture that is a source of national pride.
The Scratch of the Pen, winner of The Society of Colonial Wars Book Award, also provides intriguing tales
of the many vibrant and influential personalities of the era. In particular, we learn more about Pontiac, chief
of the Ottawa people, Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and James Murray, the
first British Governor of Quebec, as well as countless others.
The rebellion in the Great Lakes region led by Chief Pontiac is intriguingly characterized by Calloway as
the First War of Independence. To support this thesis, he considers indigenous points of view as well as
those of the settlers and the “Redcoats”. In other chapters, he explains the significant viewpoints of land
speculators like George Washington, too.
All readers will appreciate that this well-written history also includes a graphic timeline of events for the
entire year that readers can refer to, as well as illustrative maps and portraits of key historical figures.
In truth, Calloway’s book reminds us of how historical events lead to momentous changes and connect to
one another. Only a dozen years after the events of 1763, the American Revolution took place and
changed the map of North America again—although it took another eight years for the Peace of Paris (the
set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War) in 1783 to make the map, leaving Canada
intact, official. Of course, another twenty years later, in 1803, when the Louisiana Purchase was made,
the continent’s boundaries were again re-drawn. What Calloway helps make clear in his book is that the
destiny of our continent was inextricably tied to the historical footprints made in 1763.
The Resources and Activities
Of course, all teachers who read The Scratch of the Pen will also wonder “How can I apply this new
newfound knowledge and perspective on North American history to my own lesson plans?” Ruth and I
both hope that the activities, resources and primary source documents below will help direct and enrich
your history curricula next fall.
 Classroom Activities
1. Investigate how the Treaty of Paris (1763) “dismembered” New France in the following manners:
politically, militarily, economically, socially, and culturally.
2. Create maps showing the political boundaries prior to 1763, after both the Treaty of Paris (1763)
and the Peace of Paris (1783), and again after the Louisiana Purchase (1803).
3. Examine and discuss the points of view of the colonists of New France, New England (and in what
is now Canada), the indigenous tribes of the region, and the various European governments
following each of the major events of 1763.
4. Historians have long debated whether Amherst ordered the distribution of blankets invested with
smallpox. The discussion of germ warfare persists even 250 years later. Discuss the morality of
the trading of smallpox invested blankets during the mid-1700s.
5. By 1763 Mary Jemison lived with the Seneca for five years. Explain why she and other captives
never returned to live with family.
6. Select one of the interior areas, determine the state holders, and create a scenario for peaceful
transfer of power in 1763. Then research the actual events which occurred.
7. The national sport of Canada is not hockey but actually lacrosse. Have students research the
battle of Michilimackinac during Pontiac’s Rebellion and re-act the celebration of the King’s
birthday.
 Primary Documents and Resources related to the Treaty of Paris (1763)
1. Yale Law School - The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History & Diplomacy provides
translation of the Treaty of Paris (1763) which was originally written in French.
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/paris763.asp
[Note: According to the Site for Language Management in Canada, the word Canada disappeared
from official legal documents, as if Great Britain wished to sever all ties with the country's past.
Beginning with the Treaty of Paris (1763) and, until 1791, Canada, would officially be called the
Province of Québec (the word "province" designating a "colony.") Furthermore, in official usage,
British authorities now spoke of "new subjects"—instead of the term Canadians—as opposed to
His Majesty's "old subjects." In the decades to follow, the term Canadian would come to refer
exclusively to French descendants, while other descendants were designated as "the English."
See http://www.slmc.uottawa.ca/?q=treaty_paris_1763.]
2. There are excellent maps, primary source documents and historical information about France in
America on the Library of Congress website at:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/france-america/history4.html
3. The U.S. Department of State – Office of the Historian is a great site to introduce students to for
additional background information and access to primary sources:
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/TreatyofParis
4. This webpage shows, at a glance, the worldwide scope of the Treaty of Paris (1763):
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h754.html
 Resources related to ‘A Proclamation’ by King George III of Great Britain (1763)
1. The full text of King George III’s proclamation is on the Government of Canada’s website:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/015/002/015002-2010-e.html
2. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History provides significant learning materials. [Note: To
focus on the proclamation, you may need to sift material from the larger historical context since
1763, unsurprisingly, is the year that divides the historical timeline provided. View material in the
“Road to Revolution” section, in particular. Please note that K-12 educators and students must
access all online information via free subscription. Create your account at:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/community/user/register
3. High School History Lesson Plans: The Proclamation of 1763 (Gr. 9-12) at Bright Hub Education:
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-lessons-grades-9-12/50407-the-proclamation-of-1763/
4. An investigation of the issue of language rights as a result of the 1763 Royal Proclamation can be
found at: http://www.slmc.uottawa.ca/?q=royal_proclamation_1763
5. The Royal Proclamation as interpreted by Indigenous people can be found at:
http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-policy/royal-proclamation-1763.html
 Resources related to Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763)
1. The Wisconsin Historical Society offers lesson plans on the topic as part of its “Turning Points”
resources: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/lessonplans/search.asp?id=71
2. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography provides a biographical sketch of Chief Pontiac online at:
http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=1597 . A biography about James Murray is
at: http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2085
3. A video of Pontiac’s Rebellion is on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtxmbrBfoLU
It explains the viewpoint of the interior tribes as well as the events of the rebellion and the use of
germ warfare.
4. The War Chief of the Ottawas: A Chronicle of the Pontiac War is an audio book. Chapter 8 is of
particular interest [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_AviBqg4rs] as is Chapter 4 about the
Siege of Detroit at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm881lxLKyE.
5. Sir William Johnson’s papers are found at http://archive.org/details/papersofsirwilli01johnuoft but it
may take some time to find reference to his relationship with his Native wife Molly Brant. His
biography can be found at http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?BioId=36096 .
 Primary Documents and Resources Related to the Peace of Paris Treaty (1783)
[Note: This treaty is sometimes also referred to as the Treaty of Paris (1783) instead of the Peace of
Paris Treaty (1783), a name which better separates it from the other treaties signed in Paris in 1783 as
well as the one signed twenty years earlier. This is a point to clarify with students who may be
confused. Dates do matter in this instance since the ten articles of this document defined the
agreement between the United States and Great Britain, while the earlier 1763 treaty defined the
agreement between Britain and France in North America.]
1. The Peace of Paris Treaty (1783) can be found at the site below:
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/paris.asp
2. The Library of Congress website explores “Definitive Articles of the Peace of Paris 1783” at:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/
amrev/peace/paris.html
3. An excellent short video provided by Prentice Hall shows how the map of the United States and
the entire continent changed after the Peace of Paris Treaty (1783):
http://www.prenhall.com/divisions/hss/app/faragher6/map7.6
 Resources related to the Louisiana Purchase (1803)
1. Library of Congress Web Guide: Primary Documents in American History – Louisiana Purchase
at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Louisiana.html
2. The Canadian Encyclopedia contains an overview of Acadian history at:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/history-of-acadia If interested in joining the Canada Listserv, please send an email request to me at
tina.storer@wwu.edu. Five issues are shared per academic year. You are also invited to view past
issues of the resource notice online at: http://www.k12studycanada.org/news_resource_notices.html