Treaty of Paris 1783
As the American Revolution was coming to an end, there was one document that solidified the end of the war and the amity between America and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris 1783 as said in the title of reproduced treaty documents, was the “Definitive Treaty of Peace Between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty." On September 3rd, 1783 in Paris, France the treaty was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay who represented the United States and by David Hartley who represented Great Britain and the King. The treaty brought about many economic, political, social, and even geographical changes to both the United States and Great Britain.
This is an image containing the first and last pages of the original Treaty of Paris 1783.
This is an image containing the first couple pages of a reproduced Treaty of Paris 1783.
As the American Revolution was coming to an end, there was one document that solidified the end of the war and the amity between America and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris 1783 as said in the title of the reproduced document above, was the “Definitive Treaty of Peace Between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty." On September 3rd, 1783 in Paris, France, the treaty was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay who represented the United States and by David Hartley who represented Great Britain and the King. The treaty brought about many political and social changes to both the United States and Great Britain. There were ten articles listed in treaty and Article I discusses that the freedom of the British Americans and the United States from Great Britain was to be acknowledged by Britain. This freedom brought about a new relationship of respect between the United States and Great Britain. Article II establishes the of boundaries in the United States that would include, but not be limited to the territories between the United States and British North America. Article III permits fishing rights to United States fisherman off the coast of Newfoundland in the Grand Banks. Article IV declares that lawfully contracted debts were to be paid to creditors on either side, meaning that all debts even from the war had to be paid in full, which created some times of poverty for people following the war. Article V converses that the Congress of the Confederation would recommend to state legislatures rightful owners of all confiscated lands and will provide return of properties to British subjects, which solidified America’s political separation from Great Britain and controlled the sorting of properties from the Americans and the British. Article VI says that future confiscations of Loyalists property would be prevented by the United States. Article VII demands the release of the prisoners of war from both sides except the property of the British army left in the United States (including slaves), which would become property of the United States. This article showed the new peaceful and respectful relationship both the United States and Great Britain had for each other. Article VIII proclaims that the Mississippi River would be accessible to the United States along with Great Britain. Article IX states that the American territories that were captured before the treaty would be returned without reparation, which was difficult on the United States and especially difficult for Americans who may have settled in these territories and would have had to move. Article X states that any ratification of the treaty is to occur within six months from its signing, which allowed a time-period for changes to the peace treaty, but for only a six-month window. These articles all together formed the new relationship between the United States of America and Great Britain.
Many new changes were brought about with the Treaty of Paris 1783. Political, social, and even geographical changes occurred for both the United States and Great Britain; however, the economy between the two remained the same. When the treaty was signed, America and Great Britain kept their economic ties in place. Gerald Clarfield declares in his review on, “The Treaty of Paris (1783) in a Changing States System,” that the United States was attempting to expand their trading and increase their economy by separating from their exclusive trading with Great Britain (Clarfield 684). Clarfield then answers that, “the Americans failed to alter their international economic system of mercantilism by persuading Britain to allow them to trade freely in the British Empire after the war” (Clarfield 684-685). The United States, released from British monopoly, was unable to expand their economy and struggled early on after the war with separation from trading with Great Britain. The British nor the Americans experienced much of a change economically (besides debts from the war) because their trading ties remained unaffected. The political changes between America and Britain were likely the most significant. The United States was now able to freely govern itself and Great Britain was no longer able to control the colonies or have a say in anything America did. The United States was finally free from the control of the King and Great Britain. This political outcome from the treaty was the main reason for the Americans to go to war against the King and the British. The British on the other hand experienced political changes as well. Clarfield states in his review that, “the power of parliament grew, special interest groups became more influential, and a new political consciousness developed in outlying areas of Britain” (Clarfield 685). Social changes were harder on Americans compared to the British. Aaron N. Coleman considers in his article, “Debating the Nature of State Sovereignty: Nationalists, State Sovereigntists, and the Treaty of Paris (1783),” that though the United States was finally free from Great Britain, Loyalists did not agree with the treaty and were angered along with some separatists not agreeing with the new political philosophies (Coleman 20-46). The social changes for Great Britain were not as difficult as the Americans social changes. Most of the British disagreed with the treaty, finding the treaty to be heavily advantageous for the Americans. The British also had to learn to cope with the loss of power over America. Geographically the United States benefited greatly from the treaty. Lawrence S. Kaplan says in his article, “The Treaty of Paris, 1783: A Historical Challenge,” that Article II in the treaty tripled the United States boundary and allowed the United States to later pursue further west across North America (Kaplan 435-437). Great Britain was still able to retain their land to the north of the United States in what is today Canada. Kaplan conversely says that the British suffered the loss of jurisdiction over America (Kaplan 435-437). Kaplan argues in his article that the Treaty of Paris 1783 had the most significance not on the freedom of America, but on the international peace that was established between the United States and Great Britain (Kaplan 442). Kaplan also goes on to make a point that he believes the Treaty of Paris 1783 could be used as a blueprint for future peaceful international relations (Kaplan 442).
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