The Definitive Articles of Peace were signed by British and American
representatives on September 3, 1783. The Continental Congress received the document on
January 14 of the following year. What were the major provisions of the Peace of Paris?
What other provisions might the American diplomats in Paris have asked for? How well do
you think John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, the American representatives to the
peace talks, did for their country?
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original document
from the Journals of the Continental Congress in
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation.
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THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED,
To all persons to whom these presents shall come greeting:
Whereas definitive articles of peace and friendship between the United States of
America and his Britannic majesty, were concluded and signed at Paris on the 3d day of
September, 1783, by the plenipotentiaries of the said United States, and of his said
Britannic Majesty, duly and respectively authorized for that purpose; which definitive
articles are in the words following:
In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity.
It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts of the most serene and
most potent prince, George the third, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France
and Ireland, defender of the faith, duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, arch-treasurer and
prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of America, to
forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappliy interrupted the good
correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to establish such a
beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two countries, upon the ground of
reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and secure to both perpetual
peace and harmony; and having for this desirable end, already laid the foundation of peace
and reconciliation, by the provisional articles, signed at Paris on the 30th of November,
1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be
inserted in and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the
crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but which treaty was not to be
concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France, and
his Britannic majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and the treaty
between Great Britain and France having since been concluded, his Britannic majesty and
the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provisional articles
above mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is
to say, his Britannic majesty on his part, David Hartley, Esquire, member of the
parliament of Great Britain; and the said United States on their part, John Adams,
Esquire, late a commissioner of the United States of America, at the court of Versailles,
late delegate in Congress from the state of Massachusetts, and chief justice of the said
state, and minister plenipotentiary of the said United States to their high mightinesses
the states general of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, late delegate in
Congress from the state of Pensylvania, president of the convention of the said state, and
minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the court of Versailles;
John Jay, Esquire, late president of Congress, and chief justice of the state of New York,
and minister plenipotentiary from the said United States, at the court of Madrid, to be
the plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the present definitive treaty: who,
after having reciprocally communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon and
confirmed the following articles:
- Artical 1st. His Britannic majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz.
New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut,
New-York, New-Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina,
South-Carolina and Georgia, to be free, sovereign and independent states: that he treats
with them as such, and for himself, his heirs and successors, relinquishes all claims to
the government, propriety and territorial fights of the same, and every part thereof.
- Artical 2d. And that all disputes which might arise in future on the subject of the
boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared,
that the following are and shall be their boundaries, viz. from the north-west angle of
Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of
Saint Croix river to the Highlands; along the said Highlands which divide those rivers
that empty themselves into the river Saint Lawrence from those which fall into the
Atlantic Ocean, to the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river, thence down along the
middle of that river to the forty fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line
due west on said latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy, thence along
the middle of said river into lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake until it
strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the
middle of said communication into lake Erie, through the middle of said [lake,] until it
arrives at the water communication between that lake and lake Huron; thence along the
middle of said water communication into the lake Huron, thence through the middle of said
lake to the water communication between that lake and lake Superior; thence through lake
Superior northward of the isles Royal and Philipeaux, to the long lake; thence through the
middle of said long lake and the water communication between it and the lake of the Woods,
to the said lake of the Woods, thence through the said lake to the most north-western
point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river Mississippi, thence by a
line to be drawn along the middle of the said river Mississippi, until it shall intersect
the northernmost part of the thirty first degree of north latitude. South by a line to be
drawn due east from the determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of
thirty one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or
Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence
straight to the head of Saint Mary's river, and thence down along the middle of Saint
Mary's river to the Atlantic ocean. East by a line to be drawn along the middle of the
river Saint Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source
directly north to the aforesaid Highlands which divide the rivers that fall into the
Atlantic ocean from those which fall into the river Saint Lawrence: comprehending all
islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying
between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between
Nova-Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the
Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic ocean, excepting such islands as now are or heretofore have
been within the limits of the said province of Nova-Scotia.
- Artical 3d. It is agreed, that the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy
unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank and on all the other
banks of Newfoundland; also in the gulph of Saint Lawrence, and at all other places in the
sea, where the inhabitants of both countries used at any time heretofore to fish; and
also, that the inhabitants of the United States shall have liberty to take fish of every
kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as British fishermen shall use, (but not to
dry or cure the same on that island) and also on the coasts, bays and creeks of all other
of his Britannic majesty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen shall
have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours and creeks of
Nova Scotia, Magdalen islands, and Labradore, so long as the same shall remain unsettled,
but so soon as the same or either of them shall be settled, it shall not be lawful for the
said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such settlement, without a previous agreement for
that purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors or possessors of the ground.
- Artical 4th. It is agreed that creditors on either side shall meet with no lawful
impediment to the recovery of the full value in sterling money, of all bona fide debts
heretofore contracted.
- Artical 5th. It is agreed that the Congress shall earnestly recommend it to the
legislatures of the respective states, to provide for the restitution of all estates,
rights and properties, which have been confiscated, belonging to real British subjects,
and also of the estates, rights and properties of persons resident in districts in the
possession of his majesty's arms, and who have not borne arms against the said United
States. And that persons of any other description shall have free liberty to go to any
part or parts of any of the thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months
unmolested in their endeavours to obtain the restitution of such of their estates, rights
and properties, as may have been confiscated; and that Congress shall also earnestly
recommend to the several states a reconsideration and revision of all acts or laws
regarding the premises, so as to render the said laws or acts perfectly consistent, not
only with justice and equity, but with that spirit of conciliation, which on the return of
the blessings of peace should universally prevail. And that Congress shall also earnestly
recommend to the several states, that the estates, rights and properties of such last
mentioned persons shall be restored to them, they refunding to any persons who may be now
in possession of the bona fide price (where any has been given) which such persons may
have paid on purchasing any of the said lands, rights or properties since the
confiscation. And it is agreed that all persons who have any interest in confiscated
lands, either by debts, marriage settlements, or otherwise, shall meet with no lawful
impediment in the prosecution of their just rights.
- Artical 6th. That there shall be no future confiscations made, nor any prosecutions
commenced against any person or persons for or by reason of the part which he or they may
have taken in the present war; and that no person shall on that account, suffer any future
loss or damage, either in his person, liberty or property, and that those who may be in
confinement on such charges, at the time of the ratification of the treaty in America,
shall be immediately set at liberty, and the prosecutions so commenced be discontinued.
- Artical 7th. There shall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Britannic majesty and
the said states, and between the subjects of the one, and the citizens of the other,
wherefore all hostilities both by sea and land, shall from henceforth cease; all prisoners
on both sides shall be set at liberty, and his Britannic majesty shall with all convenient
speed, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any negroes or other property
of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from the said
United States, and from every post, place and harbour within the same; leaving in all
fortifications the American artillery that may be therein, and shall also order and cause
all archives, records, deeds and papers, belonging to any of the said states, or their
citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the hands of his officers,
to be forthwith restored and delivered to the proper states and persons to whom they
belong.
- Artical 8th. The navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean,
shall forever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain, and the citizens of
the United States.
- Artical 9th. In case it should so happen, that any place or territory belonging to Great
Britain or to the United States, should have been conquered by the arms of either from the
other, before the arrival of the said provisional articles in America, it is agreed, that
the same shall be restored without difficulty, and without requiring any compensation.
- Artical 10th. The solemn ratification of the present treaty, expedited in good and due
form, shall be exchanged between the contracting parties in the space of six months, or
sooner if possible, to be computed from the day of the signature of the present treaty. In
witness whereof, we, the undersigned their ministers plenipotentiary, have in their name,
and in virtue of full powers, signed with our hands the present definitive treaty, and
caused the seals of our arms to be affixed thereto.
Done at Paris, this third day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven
hundred and eighty-three.
"(L. S.) D. Hartley,
(L. S.) John Adams,
(L. S.) B. Franklin,
(L. S.) John Jay."
Now know ye that we the United States in Congress assembled having seen and considered
the definitive articles aforesaid have approved, ratified and confirmed and by these
presents do approve, ratify and confirm the said articles and every part and clause
thereof, engaging and promising, that we will sincerely and faithfully perform and observe
the same, and never suffer them to be violated by any one or transgressed in any manner as
far as lies in our power.
In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto
affixed.
Witness his Excellency Thomas Mifflin, president, this fourteenth day of January in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four and in the eighth year of the
sovereignty and independence of the United States of America.
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View the
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from the Journals of the Continental Congress in
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation.
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