Treaty of Paris (1783)

Painting by Benjamin West depicting (from left to right) John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. The British commissioners refused to pose, so the painting was never finished.

The Treaty of Paris of 1783, signed on September 3 1783, and ratified by the Congress of the Confederation on January 14, 1784, formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America that had rebelled against their rule starting in 1775.

Key points

• Recognizing the 13 colonies as free and sovereign States with [Article 1] ;
• Establishing the boundaries between the United States and British North America [Article 2]; (for an account of two strange anomalies resulting from this part of the Treaty, based on inaccuracies in the Mitchell Map, see Northwest Angle and the Republic of Indian Stream)
• Granting fishing rights to United States fishermen in the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence [Article 3];
• Recognizing the lawful contracted debts to be paid to creditors on either side [Article 4];
• United States Congress will "earnestly recommend" to state legislatures to recognize the rightful owners of all confiscated lands "provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have been confiscated belonging to real British subjects [Loyalists]". [never implemented, Article 5];
• United States will prevent future confiscations of the property of Loyalists [Article 6];
• Prisoners of war on both sides are to be released and all property left by the British army in the United States unmolested (including slaves) [Article 7];
• Great Britain and the United States were each to be given perpetual access to the Mississippi River [Article 8];
• Territories captured by Americans subsequent to treaty will be returned without compensation [Article 9];
• Ratification of the treaty was to occur within six months from the signing by the contracting parties [Article 10]

The agreement

The treaty document was signed by David Hartley (a member of the British Parliament representing the British Monarch, King George III), John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay (representing the United States).

On September 3, Britain also signed separate agreements with France, Spain, and the Netherlands, which had been negotiated earlier. In the treaty with Spain, Britain recognized Spanish rule over several territories seized by the Spaniards during the war: The colonies of East and West Florida were ceded to Spain (without any clearly defined northern boundary, resulting in disputed territory resolved with the Treaty of Madrid), and Spain also reclaimed the island of Minorca, while the Bahama Islands and St. Kitts were returned to Britain. The treaty with France largely reinforced earlier treaties, guaranteeing fishing rights off Newfoundland. Sumatra was ceded by Britain to the Netherlands.

The American Continental Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784. British ratification occurred on April 9, 1784, and ratifications exchanged on May 12, 1784. Although Britain's ratification and the exchange were not within the six-month deadline specified by the treaty, this had no effect on the honoring of the treaty. The delay was partly caused by transportation difficulties. It was not for some time, though, that the Americans in the countryside received the news because there was lack of communication.

British recognition of American independence

In April 1783, the British parliament decided no longer to use military force as a means to regain control of the thirteen colonies, but did not recognize American independence. Shortly thereafter, the British government sent a diplomat to negotiate with the American ambassador in Rome, calling the ambassador the representative of the North American "colonies". Formerly, they had not acknowledged that he represented Americans. The American ambassador rejected his credentials because they did not authorize him to negotiate with representatives of "the United States of America". Parliament very quickly revised the credentials, but not before a debate about whether that amounted to recognition of independence or merely recognition of the name by which the Americans wished to be called. A decision was made on that question. It is possible that some members of Parliament intended to recognize American independence when they voted for revision of the credentials, and the Lord Chancellor said he considered that act of Parliament to amount to such recognition. "Preliminary articles of peace" signed in November 1782 stated that the British recognized American independence, but they were not to be effective until they were included in a final peace treaty. The word governors was then changed so that they would rule over a small part, then the word president filled in that space.

See also

• Other treaties signed in Paris
• List of treaties

External links

• Text of the Treaty of Paris (without Delaware)
• Treaty of Paris, 1783 U.S. Department of State summary
• Treaty of Paris, 1783; International Treaties and Related Records, 1778-1974; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives. (with Delaware)