Peace of Paris (1783)

The Peace of Paris (1783) was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War. On 3 September 1783, representatives of King George III of Great Britain signed a treaty in Paris with representatives of the United States of America- commonly known as the Treaty of Paris (1783)- and two treaties at Versailles with representatives of King Louis XVI of France and King Charles III of Spain- commonly known as the Treaties of Versailles (1783). The previous day, a preliminary treaty had been signed with representatives of the States General of the Dutch Republic, but the final treaty which ended the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War was not signed until 20 May 1784; for convenience, however, it is included in the summaries below.

Treaty with the United States of America

Main article: Treaty of Paris (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, which had rebelled against British rule starting in 1775.

Treaty with France

Preliminary articles had been signed 20 January 1783, at Versailles

1. Declaration of peace, and forgetfulness of past problems
2. Confirmation of old treaties between the two nations
3. Exchange of prisoners and hostages to take place within 6 weeks of ratification; also ships (naval and merchant) captured after hostilities at sea officially cease are to be returned
4. British crown to retain Newfoundland and adjacent islands, except St. Pierre & Miquelon
5. French crown surrenders fishing rights between Cape Bonavista and Cape St. John (on the east coast of Newfoundland); but instead keeps fishing rights between Cape St. John and Cape Raye (round the west coast of Newfoundland)
6. The French may still fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
7. In the West Indies, British crown returns St. Lucia to France and also surrenders Tobago, subject to guarantees of the rights of British settlers in both islands.
8. French crown returns Grenada, St.Vincent's, Dominica, St. Christopher's (St. Kitts), Nevis and Montserrat to Britain, subject to guarantees of the right of French settlers in any of those islands
9. In Africa, British crown surrenders the Senegal river area to France, and returns to France the island of Gorée
10. French crown guarantees to British crown possession of the Gambia river area and Fort James.
11. British shall have right to carry on the gum trade from the mouth of the River St. John to Portendic Bay, but may not establish permanent settlements there (boundaries of the various African possessions to be determined by commissioners to be chosen within 3 months of ratification)
12. British and French access to other parts of the African coast to continue as customary
13. In India, British crown returns to France all settlements on the Orixa coast and in Bengal, as at the beginning of the war- with liberty for the French to make a ditch round Chandernagore (for drainage)- and will as far as possible provide security for French trade in the area
14. British crown also delivers Pondicherry and Karikal to France, with additions to the former at Valanour and Bahour; to the latter at the Magans
15. Mahé and the factory at Surat also returned to French control, with security provisions as in Article 13
16. Britain and France will cease to aid their respective Indian allies against each other within four months (ceasefire orders having already been sent to British and French forces in India)
17. British crown abandons restrictions on French use of the port of Dunkirk in France
18. The two crowns will make new commercial agreements by the end of 1786
19. All territories conquered by either side since the war began, and not mentioned above, are to be returned to their pre-war owners
20. The two nations should be able to enter into their respective possessions of St. Pierre & Miquelon, St. Lucia, Gorée, Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Christopher, Nevis & Montserrat, within three months of ratification of the treaty. For Indian towns etc., within 6 months
21. to 24. Technical details

Signed at Versailles, 3 September 1783, by George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester and Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes. Supplementary notes indicate that the use of the French language for the treaties shall not be deemed to set a precedent; and clarify arrangements for preventing local disputes between British and French fishermen on Newfoundland, etc.

Treaty with Spain

Preliminary articles had been signed 20 January 1783, at Versailles.

1. Declaration of peace, and forgetfulness of past problems
2. Confirmation of old treaties between the two nations
3. Exchange of prisoners and hostages to take place within 6 weeks of ratification; also ships (naval and merchant) captured after hostilities at sea officially cease are to be returned
4. British crown surrenders Minorca to Spain
5. British crown surrenders East Florida and West Florida to Spain- British inhabitants have 18 months from the date of ratification to leave (this may be extended if they are unable to arrange sale of their possessions within that time)
6. In "the Spanish continent" [the majority of America south of the United States] British subjects will be permitted to cut and carry away logwood in the district between the Bellize (or Wallis) river and the Rio Hondo (both of which shall be open to navigators from both nations) up to an isthmus formed by a widening of the Bellize river and a widening of the Rio Nuevo (New River), from where the boundary goes straight across the isthmus to the Rio Nuevo, along the Rio Nuevo to where it comes opposite a river [marked on an accompanying map] which flows into the Rio Hondo; then across to that river, downstream to the Rio Hondo, and finally down the Rio Hondo to the sea. Commissioners will mark out places where the British may establish settlements, and all British subjects within the Spanish continent and offshore islands will move to those settlements within 18 months from ratification (with full assistance from the Spanish authorities). No fortifications may be made within this area, and any now existing must be demolished. The British settlers may also fish for their subsistence off the coast of the designated area, and neighbouring islands (but must not make any other use of the said islands).
7. Spanish crown returns the islands of Providence and the Bahamas to Britain (with similar provisions to Article 5).
8. All territories conquered by either side since the war began, and not mentioned above, are to be returned to their pre-war owners
9. The two crowns will make new commercial agreements by the end of 1786
10. The two nations should be able to enter into their respective possessions of East Florida, Providence and the Bahamas within three months of ratification of the treaty, sooner if possible.
11. to 12. Technical details

Signed at Versailles, 3 September 1783, by George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester and Comte d'Aranda.

Treaty with the Dutch Republic

Preliminary articles were signed 2 September 1783 at Paris.

1. Declaration of peace, and forgetfulness of past problems
2. Respect for each other's flags at sea to be resumed
3. Exchange of prisoners and hostages to take place as soon as possible, without waiting for ratification; also ships (naval and merchant) captured after hostilities at sea officially cease are to be returned
4. In India, the States General of the Republic surrender the town of Negapatnam to the British crown, but may exchange it for some equivalent property if they have such available
5. British crown returns Trinquemale (Trincomalee) to the States General, with all other Dutch towns, forts, harbours and settlements conquered by the British forces (including East India Company forces) during the war
6. The States General promise not to obstruct the navigation of British subjects in the Eastern Seas
7. Commissioners shall be appointed to discuss navigation rights on the African coast, and the subject of Cape Apollonia [in what is now Ghana], which have been the source of disputes between the English African Company and the Dutch West India Company
8. All territories conquered by either side since the war began, and not mentioned above, are to be returned to their pre-war owners
9. to 11. Technical details

Signed at Paris, 20 May 1784, by Daniel Hailes; Lestevenon van Berkenroode and Gerard Brantsen.

Full texts (French and English)

• Jenkinson, Charles A Collection of All the Treaties of Peace, Alliance, and Commerce Between Great Britain and Other Powers vol. 3, pages 334 onward. London, Debrett (1785), via Google Books- accessed 2008-01-03