People / group

Paxton Boys

1763–1764 · 18th century

The Paxton Boys were frontier settlers from around Paxton in central Pennsylvania who, during Pontiac's War, attacked the peaceful Conestoga Indians, survivors of the Susquehannock, in December 1763, killing all of them, including those sheltered in the Lancaster workhouse. In 1764 they marched on Philadelphia, where Benjamin Franklin helped persuade them to turn back. None were punished.

Paxton Boys
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Susquehannock

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Paxton Boys. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paxton-boys
MLA
“Paxton Boys.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paxton-boys. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Paxton Boys.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paxton-boys.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Paxton Boys’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paxton-boys (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻