Treaty of Paris 1783

Paris (1783), Treaty of
Paris (1783), Treaty of, concluded the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. On 20 Sept 1783 Britain acknowledged American independence and recognized a boundary along the centre of the 4 northerly Great Lakes and from Lake of the Woods "due west" to the imagined location of the Mississippi's headwaters, then S along the Mississippi R. This gave the US Niagara, Detroit and Michilimackinac, and valuable lands reserved to Indians by the ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1763. The Americans, negotiating through the French comte de Vergennes, obtained fishing rights off Newfoundland and access to the E banks of the Mississippi; in turn they promised restitution and compensation to British LOYALISTS.

The treaty was ineffective. Britain retained its western posts until after JAY'S TREATY (1794), and denied the US free navigation of the St Lawrence. The Americans largely ignored their promises to the Loyalists, many of whom settled in Canada. Nevertheless, Britain soon resumed trade with and investment in the new republic.

Author CORNELIUS J. JAENEN

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Geographic: Historical Maps
Take a walk through the history of Canada. Select a year to see the maps and the history related to that era. From the "Canadian Geographic" website.

Treaty of Paris, 1783
Scroll down the page for an overview of the Treaty of Paris (1783.) Click on the “Treaty of Paris” link for more information. From the “Canada in the Making” website.

International Boundary Commission
The official website for the International Boundary Commission.

Battles of 1759 and 1763
This site chronicles key military conflicts in Québec during the 18th century. From The National Battlefields Commission.