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Franklin Putting Things Into
Perspective
Peace of Paris 1783
Also called
Peace of Versailles 1783:
Great Britain's individual peace treaties with the United
States, France, Spain, and the United Provinces.
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Image Above
Benjamin Franklin
c. 1785
Oil on canvas by
J.S. Duplessis, Smithonian's National Portrait
Gallery
"There never was a good war or a bad peace."
Benjamin Franklin
quoted from his letter to Josiah Quincy, written
on September 11, 1783.
Here is more about
Benjamin Franklin |
War's End
All treaties and declarations that concluded
the
American War of Independence are collectively
referred to as the Peace of Paris
1783.
As far as the Dutch were
concerned, the Peace of Paris also concluded the
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.
Peace of Paris
or Peace of Versailles 1783?
The
Peace of Paris 1783 includes treaties that were signed at
Paris as well as at Versailles.
Hence, it is also called Peace of Versailles 1783.
Here is Paris and Versailles on
a map:
Paris and
Versailles 12 Miles / 20 Kilometers
Apart
Google Map
Which Treaties Are Part of the 1783 Peace of Paris?
Here are the main documents that
form the Peace of Paris 1783, listed in chronological order:
::
November 30, 1782
Between Great Britain and the United States,
signed at Paris: Preliminary articles
::
January 20, 1783
Two treaties:
1. Between Great Britain and
France, signed at Versailles: Preliminary articles
2. Between Great Britain and
Spain, signed at Versailles: Preliminary articles
::
April 11, 1783
Proclamation Declaring the Cessation of Arms - signed at
Philadelphia by Charles Thomson and Elias Boudinot
(Secretary and President of the Continental Congress,
respectively)
::
September 2, 1783
Between Great Britain and the
United Provinces, signed at Paris: Preliminary
articles
::
September 3, 1783
Three treaties:
1. Between Great Britain and the
United States, signed at Paris:
Final treaty
2. Between Great Britain and
France, signed at Versailles:
Final treaty
3. Between Great Britain and
Spain, signed at Versailles:
Final treaty
:: May
20, 1784
Between Great Britain and the
United Provinces, signed at Paris:
Final treaty
Who Came Out on
Top?
The United States gained
recognition of their independence, as well as of their
claims to all territory east of the Mississippi River. In
addition, they were granted a continuation of their fishing
rights off Newfoundland. Both nations' noncompliance with
this treaty was addressed by the
Jay Treaty 1794. The next clash
between the two was the
War of 1812.
Great Britain definitely
benefitted from negotiating individual treaties with its
respective opponents, rather than concluding a single treaty
with the U.S., France, Spain, and the United Provinces.
Britain was thus able to exploit its enemies conflicting
interests. All in all, Britain got away with better terms
and conditions than what could have been expected.
The French didn't gain anything
of future cash value. Moreover, having spent an enormous
amount of money on the American Revolution left France
bankrupt and was one more reason for its citizens to launch
their own revolution.
Spain's biggest gain was the
Floridas, which was actually nothing at all, considering it
all disappeared in 1819 with the
Adams-Onis Treaty.
Spain's biggest regret was not having been able to reclaim
Gibraltar. Britain gave back Minorca, which was nice, but it
wasn't Gibraltar...
The United Provinces were past
their prime, which triggered an optimistic
revolt in 1787, but in
turn ended up making Napoleon their landlord in 1795. Their
gain in Ceylon from this 1783 Peace of Paris was taken by
Great Britain in 1802. See
Treaty of Amiens.
Maps
United States 1783-1854 Expansion
Three historical
maps of the Expansion of the United States
1783-1854
United States 1783-1907 Expansion
Map of
the Expansion of the United States 1783-1907
United
States 1788-1959 - The States Access the Union
Year of entrance
into the Union, territorial acquisitions
United
States 1803 Expansion
The United States 1783
And here are the United States' territorial
acquisitions simplified and in a nutshell:
Map of the United States: Territorial Acquisitions
Humboldt State University
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