The Paxton Boys

The Paxton Boys

Who Were The Paxton Boys?

The Paxton Boys were Scots-Irish

frontiersmen who lived in the

rural town of Paxton. The Paxton

Boys were formed to respond to the

fear of Native Americans spreading

throughout the country at the time

due to the French and Indian War.

The Conestoga Massacre

Conclusion

Whimsical Representation of a Paxton Boy

The March on Philadelphia

Causes of the

Conestoga Massacre

In conclusion, the Paxton Boys carried out brutal, uncalled for attacks aginst Native American tribes based on suspicion. The massacre of the Christianised Conestoga tribe only demonstraes the tension between whites and Native Americans at the time and reenforced the idea that whites and Native Americans could not work and live together peacefully.

The Conestoga Massacre was carried out by

Paxton Boys who killed 6 Native Americans

belonging to the Conestoga tribe; 14 other

Native Americans fled from the attack.

Although they fled it was to no avail; in December the Paxton Boys finished the attack. The Paxton boys cut off the Native American's feet with their own Tomahawks and scalped, shot, and cut men, women, and children into pieces.

Benjamin Franklin speaks

against the Paxton Boys

In January of 1764 the Paxton Boys marched to Philadelphia because they were appalled taht the Quakers would protect Native American "savages" from them. Benjamin Franklin and a group of civic leaders agreed to meet with the leaders of The Paxton Boys if they would call off the march. The leaders of the Paxton mob agreed to disperse, thus, avoiding the violence that was bound to occur if the mob had reached Philadelphia.

Bibliography

"ExplorePAHistory.com - Image." ExplorePAHistory.com - Image. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-1F5F>.

"Who Were the Paxton Boys? Facts about the Paxton Boysâs Massacre." Who Were the Paxton Boys? Facts about the Paxton Boysâs Massacre. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://totallyhistory.com/paxton-boys/>.

"Paxton Boys." Paxton Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1188.html>.

"The Paxton Boys." The Paxton Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nanations.com/dishonor/paxton-boys.htm>.

Benjamin Franklin spoke out against the massacres the Paxton Boys carried out; saying " the Conestoga would have been safe among any other people on earth, no matter how primitive, except 'white savages'." (referring to the Paxton Boys, of course)

Causes of the Conestoga Massacre include scuffles over land between Native Americans and white settlers the whites arrived as well as Native Americans feeling that they were being taken advantage of by the white settlers when they did sign peace treaties. The poor treatment of Native Americans in treaties resulted in raids against white town carried out by Native Americans which contributed to the ever growing fear of them in colonial America.

Many of the Paxton Boys believed the Quakers to be wrong for protecting the Native Americans. This is one of the first American political cartoons; it depicts a Quaker riding on the backs of German and Scots-Irish dudes while homes are burning and women and children are dead at their feet.

The Paxton Boys Doing Stuff