The Paxton Boys

The Paxton Boys were citizen law-enforcers who were most well known for their participation in the Conestoga Massacre. The Paxton Boys originated from central Pennsylvania, and were a couple of Presbyterian Scottish-Irish men who created a vigilante group to protect themselves from the Native American revolt known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. The group of vigilantes thought that the government of Pennsylvania wasn’t offering them as much protection as they would like from these Native insurgents. The Paxton Boys soon learned that the nearest rebel Natives were only a couple of miles away from them, so they decided to pay them a visit. The boys attacked the Susquehannock people, who were a peaceful tribe that lived near European settlements in small tribes. The Paxton Boys made up a false accusation that these Natives were aiding the hostiles involved in Pontiac’s Rebellion. This way, the Paxton Boys had some means of justification. Fifty armed men attacked the peaceful Natives on December 14, 1763, and killed six Natives, and burned down their homes. After this first attack, the Conestogos created a treaty that established peace between the citizens of Pennsylvania and the Susquehannas. The 14 Natives that had survived the attack were placed in protective custody was Governor John Penn. Sadly, this did not stop the Paxton Boys, as they broke in anyways and killed all fourteen Natives. Two more Natives were found, and placed, once again, in protective custody. Penn issued the arrest of the men who committed this atrocity, and even added a bounty to whoever came forward with information. The Paxton Boys were so wild and intimidating, not a soul would come forward. Natives living in Eastern Pennsylvania fled to Philadelphia for protection from the insurgents. Approximately 250 men marched to their location, ready for a massacre. Luckily, Benjamin Franklin had stopped the Paxton Boys with the local militia long enough to negotiate with their leaders. This ended the violence at last. To make the situation worse, a third of the Natives in protective care by the government died from small pox due to the crowded rooms they lived in. The Paxton Boys were stopped, and the Conestoga Massacre had ended, but the damage was done.