ARLINGTON, Va. - s4story -- by Michael F. Bishop for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize

The Treaty of Paris, 1783

On September 3, 1783, The Treaty of Paris officially terminated the eight-year Revolutionary War. Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and British representative, David Hartley, it codified England's recognition of the United States as a free, sovereign, and independent nation with established boundaries—from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River in the West; the Great Lakes to the North, and Spanish Florida to the South.

The vast swath of territory provided a baseline for future American expansion, and so did the newly acquired fishing rights near the coasts of Newfoundland and the Gulf of Lawrence; an additional provision mandated that each side refrain from impeding the recovery of pre-war debts.

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The accord urged Congress to "earnestly recommend" that state legislatures restore confiscated Loyalist property and to cease further persecution of them. Although some agreements proved difficult to enforce, the Treaty represented a major diplomatic triumph for young America. It secured international legitimacy to the United States and shifted the balance of power in North America. By ending hostilities and defining national borders, the new alliance permitted the former colonies to concentrate on delivering a stable government at the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Richard E. Morris' The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence.

History Matters is a feature courtesy of the Grateful American Book Prize. For more book recommendations and information about the annual award, visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.

The 2026 Grateful American Book Prize winner will be announced in October.