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Treaty of Paris: Primary Documents in American History

On September 3, 1783, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War. This guide provides access to digital materials at the Library of Congress, links to external websites, and a print bibliography.

Introduction

The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States, recognized American independence and established borders for the new nation. After the British defeat at Yorktown, peace talks in Paris began in April 1782 between Richard Oswald representing Great Britain and the American Peace Commissioners Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams. The American negotiators were joined by Henry Laurens two days before the preliminary articles of peace were signed on November 30, 1782. David Hartley replaced Oswald as the British negotiator in April 1783. The Treaty of Paris, formally ending the war, was not signed until September 3, 1783. The Continental Congress, which was temporarily situated in Annapolis, Maryland, at the time, ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784.