British and US delegates ratified the Paris Treaty on September 3, 1783. As a result, this effectively ended the eight-year-long American Revolutionary War (1775–1793) and paved the way for the United States of America’s independence from Great Britain (“Treaty of Paris,” 2020). The newly established US and France formed an alliance to combat Great Britain during the American Revolution. French and US delegates signed two independent treaties in February 1778: the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Ultimately, the British fleet was later captured at Yorktown in 1781. Nonetheless, the war continued because Britain refused to recognize peace.
The Americans stood firm, insisting that complete independence was the only way to achieve peace. The US and the British commissioners reached an agreement to end the war in 1782. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay represented the US, while David Hartley supported Great Britain during the negotiation (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). The American negotiators demonstrated their readiness for the international stage by achieving the majority of the goals that the new US sought (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). Following several peace talks, the US, Spain, and France formally ended the war with Britain, resulting in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
The Treaty of Paris recognized the US as an independent state identified by individual countries. Besides, this was always what Americans desired, and it fulfilled their need to be independent and free States. The treaty gave the US rights to fisheries in Canada, and they had the freedom to get any fish they wanted. It recognized the new United States of America’s borders. Both America and Britain were granted access to the Mississippi River (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). Furthermore, the peace treaty required that all debts incurred between the United Kingdom and the US prior to the war be paid off.
The treaty called for the surrender of all British posts within the US territory, effectively ending hostilities between the two countries. On the other hand, Spain received its North American holdings, such as Spanish Florida, which it had lost in the Seven Years’ War. The British were to obtain all the land and or property that were taken from them during the war back (“Treaty of Paris,” 2020). Despite losing its American colonies, Britain benefitted greatly from the early industrial revolution’s economic growth, which helped ensure the development of British global power.
Although the treaty met the needs and wants of the countries involved in the conflict with Britain, it failed them in many ways. For instance, it made an incomparable, unforgettable impression, guaranteeing the United State’s status as a world power. The French diplomats felt betrayed by the United States (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). They believed that the United States’ terms were too generous since they benefited the most compared to the other treaty signatories. However, France gained due to the French Revolution due to enormous financial costs and attempts to resolve the financial crisis.
Even though the treaty acknowledged peace between Britain and the US, their relationship remained strained because of the absence of trade relations. Furthermore, several border regions were left undefined, further causing disputes (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). Furthermore, the treaty shows significant British disloyalty to their Indian allies in North America, who were to suffer alone in US territory and without any further military assistance from the European power.
Many consequences arose due to the 1783 Peace Treaty of Paris. For instance, the British refused to give up several forts in the recently departed Northwest Territory. Consequently, the Americans seized assets from residents who had stayed faithful to the British during the battle (“Treaty of Paris (1783),” 2022). Ultimately, this called for the signing the Jay Treaty in 1794 to solve the issues between Great Britain and the US.
References
Treaty of Paris (1783). (2022). National Archives.
Treaty of Paris. (2020). Revolutionary War.