# Canonical recap data for Treaty of Paris (1783) (1783)
# Source: https://recap.at/1783/treaty-of-paris-american-independence
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: treaty-of-paris-american-independence
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1783/treaty-of-paris-american-independence"
title: Treaty of Paris (1783)
aliases:
- Peace of Paris
- Treaty of Paris 1783
- Anglo-American Treaty of 1783
subtitle: Treaty of Paris (1783)
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1783-09-03
datePrecision: day
year: 1783
decade: 1780
country:
name: France
slug: france
summaryShort: The Treaty of Paris, signed by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the War of American Independence and recognized the Thirteen Colonies, which had been part of colonial British America, to be free, sovereign and independent
summaryLong: The Treaty of Paris, signed by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the War of American Independence and recognized the Thirteen Colonies, which had been part of colonial British America, to be free, sovereign and independent unified states.
lede: On September 3, 1783, Britain formally recognized American independence through a treaty signed in Paris. The agreement ended seven years of war and established the United States as a sovereign nation, with territorial boundaries stretching to the Mississippi River.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Treaty of Paris (1783)"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Signing date
  value: September 3, 1783
- label: Location
  value: Paris, France
- label: War duration
  value: 7 years (1776–1783)
- label: Colonies recognized as independent
  value: 13 (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)
- label: Western boundary of new nation
  value: Mississippi River
- label: British negotiator
  value: David Hartley
- label: American chief negotiator
  value: Benjamin Franklin
- label: Ratification by Congress
  value: January 14, 1784
timeline:
- date: 1775-04-19
  title: Battles of Lexington and Concord
  description: Armed conflict begins in Massachusetts, launching what would become the Revolutionary War.
- date: 1776-07-04
  title: Declaration of Independence
  description: The thirteen colonies formally declare independence from Great Britain; the war continues for another seven years.
- date: 1778-02-06
  title: Franco-American Alliance
  description: France enters the war as an American ally, shifting military advantage and providing resources and troops.
- date: 1781-10-19
  title: Yorktown Surrender
  description: British General Cornwallis surrenders to combined American and French forces; major turning point toward peace negotiations.
- date: 1782-11-30
  title: Preliminary Articles Signed
  description: Britain and the United States agree on preliminary terms in Paris; formal ratification and final treaty still pending.
- date: 1783-09-03
  title: Treaty of Paris Signed
  description: Britain formally recognizes American independence and establishes borders, fishing rights, and territorial claims.
- date: 1784-01-14
  title: Congressional Ratification
  description: The Continental Congress officially ratifies the Treaty of Paris, cementing its legal force.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)"
  title: Treaty of Paris (1783)
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The treaty dissolved the British Empire's control over thirteen colonies and created a new independent state. It redrew the map of North America, handed Britain's former territories to the Americans, and set a precedent for how colonial independence could be negotiated rather than simply seized.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- treaty_signing
- peace_accord
- independence_declaration
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- governance
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: Britain recognized American independence on September 3, 1783. The treaty ended the Revolutionary War and established the U.S. as a sovereign nation.
wikidataQid: Q217450
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: British territory in North America
  thenValue: 13 colonies + Canada + Florida
  thenYear: 1783
  nowValue: Canada only
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Britain retained Canada but lost all 13 colonies and ceded Florida to Spain
- metric: US population
  thenValue: ~2.5 million
  thenYear: 1783
  nowValue: ~335 million
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Includes enslaved people in 1783 estimate
- metric: US states
  thenValue: "13"
  thenYear: 1783
  nowValue: "50"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Territory expanded westward to Mississippi River per treaty
- metric: British war debt from American Revolution
  thenValue: £143 million
  thenYear: 1783
  nowValue: N/A
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Roughly £20-25 billion in 2024 currency; contributed to later British financial strain
consequences:
- title: Creation of international precedent for independence recognition
  year: 1783
  description: The treaty established that a colonial power could formally recognize the independence of rebel territories through diplomatic agreement, influencing later independence movements throughout the 19th and 20th centuries
- title: Westward expansion framework
  year: 1783
  description: The treaty granted the United States territory extending to the Mississippi River, setting the stage for the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and subsequent westward expansion
- title: British naval decline begins
  year: 1783
  description: The loss of the American colonies and massive war debt weakened Britain's relative power, though it regrouped to dominate 19th-century global affairs
- title: Slavery question deferred
  year: 1783
  description: The treaty left slavery unresolved in the new nation, a contradiction that would fuel the Civil War 78 years later
- title: Franco-American alliance fraying
  year: 1784
  description: Within months, the United States began independent diplomacy, eventually distancing itself from France by the 1790s despite French support during the war
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: 1783 occurred during the height of the Enlightenment's influence on political thought. The successful American revolution vindicated ideas from Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau about popular sovereignty and natural rights, reshaping European intellectual discourse and inspiring later revolutionary movements. Simultaneously, Britain's literary culture (Johnson, Boswell, Cowper) remained vibrant despite military defeat.
relatedQueries:
- Treaty of Paris 1783 terms conditions
- American Revolutionary War end date
- Benjamin Franklin Treaty of Paris negotiator
- British recognition American independence 1783
- Western boundary United States 1783 Mississippi River
- Spain Florida Treaty of Paris 1783
- How did the Treaty of Paris affect Britain
- John Jay diplomacy Treaty of Paris
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29.jpg"
  caption: Treaty of Paris (1783)
  credit: Wikipedia · "Treaty of Paris (1783)"
  width: 330
  height: 492
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Treaty_of_Paris_1783_-_last_page_%28hi-res%29.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Paris_1783_-_last_page_%28hi-res%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Treaty_of_Paris_1783_-_last_page_%28hi-res%29.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Paris_1783_-_last_page_%28hi-res%29.jpg"
  caption: Treaty of Paris 1783 - last page (hi-res)
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 2058
  height: 3139
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg"
  caption: Treaty of Paris by Benjamin West 1783
  credit: Benjamin West
  width: 1200
  height: 932
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Treaty_of_Paris_%28page_03%29.jpg/1280px-Treaty_of_Paris_%28page_03%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Treaty_of_Paris_%28page_03%29.jpg/800px-Treaty_of_Paris_%28page_03%29.jpg"
  caption: Treaty of Paris (page 03)
  credit: The U.S. National Archives
  width: 1960
  height: 3150
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260605040216/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-05
  label: Treaty of Paris (1783)
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)"
relationships:
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Paris (1783)" references "American Civil War" (4 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: treaty-of-versailles
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Paris (1783)" references "Treaty of Versailles" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-declaration-independence
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Treaty of Paris (1783)" references "American Declaration of Independence" (6 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
