TREATIES OF PARIS (1783)
Signed by the United States, Great Britain, France,
Spain, the Netherlands
U.S.-Britain:
- Britain recognized the independence of the U.S.
- The War of the American Revolution was ended;
P.O.W.'s were released.
- Britain agreed to evacuate its troops from the
U.S. "with all convenient speed"; evacuating troops
would not destroy or carry-off property (including slaves) belonging
to Americans and compensation would be made by Britain for American
property losses caused by evacuating troops.
- Borders of U.S. established (East--Atlantic Ocean;
South--31st Parallel; West--Mississippi River; North--Line running
from Lake of the Woods through Great Lakes and then along New
York-New Hampshire-Maine boundary with Canada).
- Neither nation would make laws which would prevent
creditors of the other nation from collecting debts made before
1783.
- Congress would recommend to the states that they
restore the property and civil rights of the Loyalists.
- Loyalists would not be punished for helping Britain
in the war.
- U.S. could continue to exercise traditional fishing
rights in the Grand Banks (east of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia)
and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; American fishermen could dry
their catch on uninhabited Canadian shorelands.
- U.S. and Britain would "forever" retain
right to navigate on the Mississippi River.
France-Britain:
- France received greater fishing rights in the
Grand Banks.
- France received the colonies of Senegal in Africa
and Tobago in the Caribbean.
- France received the right to fortify its port
of Dunkirk on the English Channel.
- France received a small increase in its trading
rights in India.
- Britain returned to France the following islands
seized during the war: St. Lucia (Caribbean Sea), St. Pierre (Gulf
of St. Lawrence), and Miquelon (Gulf of St. Lawrence).
- France returned to Britain all Caribbean islands
seized during the war: Grenada, the Grenadines, Dominica, St.
Christopher, Nevis, Monserrat.
Spain-Britain:
- Spain received the colonies of East Florida and
West Florida from Britain.
- Spain received the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean
Sea.
- Britain lost rights to cut trees and to conduct
lumbering operations on the coast of Spanish America, except on
the coast of Honduras.
Netherlands-Britain:
- The Netherlands received a trading post in India
(Trincomali).
- The Netherlands lost a trading post (Negapatam)
in Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka).
- The Netherlands recognized the right of Britain
to trade in and to navigate the waters surrounding the Dutch East
Indies.
- When British and Dutch ships met on the high
seas, Dutch ships were required to lower their flags in honor
of Britain.
| This page was last updated on 12/3/95 | Return to History 325 Supplements | Site Map |
Dr. Harold D. Tallant, Department of History, Georgetown College
400 East College Street, Georgetown, KY 40324, (502) 863-8075
E-mail: htallant@georgetowncollege.edu