Transcript of Treaty of Paris (1783)

The Definitive Treaty of Peace 1783

In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity.

It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts = of the=20 most serene and most potent Prince George the Third, by the grace = of God,=20 king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, = duke of=20 Brunswick and Lunebourg, arch- treasurer and prince elector of the = Holy=20 Roman Empire etc., and of the United States of America, to forget = all past=20 misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted = the good=20 correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, = and to=20 establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse , between = the two=20 countries upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual = convenience=20 as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and = having=20 for this desirable end already laid the foundation of peace and=20 reconciliation by the Provisional Articles signed at Paris on the = 30th of=20 November 1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part, which = articles=20 were agreed to be inserted in and constitute the Treaty of Peace = proposed=20 to be concluded between the Crown of Great Britain and the said = United=20 States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of = peace=20 should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France and his = Britannic=20 Majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and = the=20 treaty between Great Britain and France having since been = concluded, his=20 Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, in order to = carry into=20 full effect the Provisional Articles above mentioned, according to = the=20 tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say his=20 Britannic Majesty on his part, David Hartley, Esqr., member of the = Parliament of Great Britain, and the said United States on their = part,=20 John Adams, Esqr., late a commissioner of the United States of = America at=20 the court of Versailles, late delegate in Congress from the state = of=20 Massachusetts, and chief justice of the said state, and minister=20 plenipotentiary of the said United States to their high = mightinesses the=20 States General of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, = Esqr., late=20 delegate in Congress from the state of Pennsylvania, president of = the=20 convention of the said state, and minister plenipotentiary from = the United=20 States of America at the court of Versailles; John Jay, Esqr., = late=20 president of Congress and chief justice of the state of New York, = and=20 minister plenipotentiary from the said United States at the court = of=20 Madrid; to be plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the = present=20 definitive treaty; who after having reciprocally communicated = their=20 respective full powers have agreed upon and confirmed the = following=20 articles.

Article 1:
His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the = said United=20 States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and=20 Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, = Pennsylvania,=20 Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and = Georgia,=20 to be free sovereign and independent states, that he treats with = them as=20 such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors, relinquishes all = claims=20 to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same = and every=20 part thereof.

Article 2:
And that all disputes which might arise in = future=20 on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States may be=20 prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following = are and=20 shall be their boundaries, viz.; from the northwest angle of Nova = Scotia,=20 viz., that nagle which is formed by a line drawn due north from = the source=20 of St. Croix River to the highlands; along the said highlands = which divide=20 those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, = from those=20 which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the northwesternmost head = of=20 Connecticut River; thence down along the middle of that river to = the=20 forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due = west on=20 said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy; = thence=20 along the middle of said river into Lake Ontario; through the = middle of=20 said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that = lake=20 and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into = Lake=20 Erie, through the middle of said lake until it arrives at the = water=20 communication between that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the = middle of=20 said water communication into Lake Huron, thence through the = middle of=20 said lake to the water communication between that lake and Lake = Superior;=20 thence through Lake Superior northward of the Isles Royal and = Phelipeaux=20 to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of said Long Lake and = the=20 water communication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the = said Lake=20 of the Woods; thence through the said lake to the most = northwesternmost=20 point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river=20 Mississippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the = said=20 river Mississippi until it shall intersect the northernmost part = of the=20 thirty-first degree of north latitude, South, by a line to be = drawn due=20 east from the determination of the line last mentioned in the = latitude of=20 thirty-one degrees of the equator, to the middle of the river = Apalachicola=20 or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction = with the=20 Flint River, thence straight to the head of Saint Mary's River; = and thence=20 down along the middle of Saint Mary's River to the Atlantic Ocean; = east,=20 by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river Saint Croix, = from its=20 mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source = directly=20 north to the aforesaid highlands which divide the rivers that fall = into=20 the Atlantic Ocean from those which fall into the river Saint = Lawrence;=20 comprehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the = shores=20 of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east = from=20 the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on = the one=20 part and East Florida on the other shall, respectively, touch the = Bay of=20 Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, excepting such islands as now are or = heretofore have been within the limits of the said province of = Nova=20 Scotia.

Article 3:
It is agreed that the people of the United = States=20 shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every = kind on=20 the Grand Bank and on all the other banks of Newfoundland, also in = the=20 Gulf of Saint Lawrence and at all other places in the sea, where = the=20 inhabitants of both countries used at any time heretofore to fish. = And=20 also that the inhabitants of the United States shall have liberty = to take=20 fish of every kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as = British=20 fishermen shall use, (but not to dry or cure the same on that = island) and=20 also on the coasts, bays and creeks of all other of his Brittanic=20 Majesty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen = shall have=20 liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, = harbors, and=20 creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen Islands, and Labrador, so long as = the same=20 shall remain unsettled, but so soon as the same or either of them = shall be=20 settled, it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or = cure fish=20 at such settlement without a previous agreement for that purpose = with the=20 inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the ground.

Article 4:
It is agreed that creditors on either side = shall=20 meet with no lawful impediment to the recovery of the full value = in=20 sterling money of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

Article 5:
It is agreed that Congress shall earnestly = recommend it to the legislatures of the respective states to = provide for=20 the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties, which have = been=20 confiscated belonging to real British subjects; and also of the = estates,=20 rights, and properties of persons resident in districts in the = possession=20 on his Majesty's arms and who have not borne arms against the said = United=20 States. And that persons of any other decription shall have free = liberty=20 to go to any part or parts of any of the thirteen United States = and=20 therein to remain twelve months unmolested in their endeavors to = obtain=20 the restitution of such of their estates, rights, and properties = as may=20 have been confiscated; and that Congress shall also earnestly = recommend to=20 the several states a reconsideration and revision of all acts or = laws=20 regarding the premises, so as to render the said laws or acts = perfectly=20 consistent not only with justice and equity but with that spirit = of=20 conciliation which on the return of the blessings of peace should=20 universally prevail. And that Congress shall also earnestly = recommend to=20 the several states that the estates, rights, and properties, of = such last=20 mentioned persons shall be restored to them, they refunding to any = persons=20 who may be now in possession the bona fide price (where any has = been=20 given) which such persons may have paid on purchasing any of the = said=20 lands, rights, or properties since the confiscation.

And it is agreed that all persons who have any interest in = confiscated=20 lands, either by debts, marriage settlements, or otherwise, shall = meet=20 with no lawful impediment in the prosecution of their just rights. =

Article 6:
That there shall be no future = confiscations made=20 nor any prosecutions commenced against any person or persons for, = or by=20 reason of, the part which he or they may have taken in the present = war,=20 and that no person shall on that account suffer any future loss or = damage,=20 either in his person, liberty, or property; and that those who may = be in=20 confinement on such charges at the time of the ratification of the = treaty=20 in America shall be immediately set at liberty, and the = prosecutions so=20 commenced be discontinued.

Article 7:
There shall be a firm and perpetual peace = between=20 his Brittanic Majesty and the said states, and between the = subjects of the=20 one and the citizens of the other, wherefore all hostilities both = by sea=20 and land shall from henceforth cease. All prisoners on both sides = shall be=20 set at liberty, and his Brittanic Majesty shall with all = convenient speed,=20 and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any Negroes = or other=20 property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, = garrisons,=20 and fleets from the said United States, and from every post, = place, and=20 harbor within the same; leaving in all fortifications, the = American=20 artilery that may be therein; and shall also order and cause all = archives,=20 records, deeds, and papers belonging to any of the said states, or = their=20 citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the = hands of=20 his officers, to be forthwith restored and delivered to the proper = states=20 and persons to whom they belong.

Article 8:
The navigation of the river Mississippi, = from its=20 source to the ocean, shall forever remain free and open to the = subjects of=20 Great Britain and the citizens of the United States.

Article 9:
In case it should so happen that any place = or=20 territory belonging to Great Britain or to the United States = should have=20 been conquered by the arms of either from the other before the = arrival of=20 the said Provisional Articles in America, it is agreed that the = same shall=20 be restored without difficulty and without requiring any = compensation.=20

Article 10:
The solemn ratifications of the present = treaty=20 expedited in good and due form shall be exchanged between the = contracting=20 parties in the space of six months or sooner, if possible, to be = computed=20 from the day of the signatures of the present treaty. In witness = whereof=20 we the undersigned, their ministers plenipotentiary, have in their = name=20 and in virtue of our full powers, signed with our hands the = present=20 definitive treaty and caused the seals of our arms to be affixed = thereto.=20

Done at Paris, this third day of September in the year of our = Lord, one=20 thousand seven hundred and eighty-three.

D. HARTLEY (SEAL)
JOHN ADAMS (SEAL)
B. FRANKLIN = (SEAL)
JOHN=20 JAY (SEAL)

Transcription courtesy of the = Avalon=20 Project at Yale Law = School.

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