The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, formally ending the American Revolutionary War before America's 250th anniversary.
The agreement was concluded in Paris between Great Britain and the United States. British recognition of the United States as free, sovereign, and independent states was its central achievement. The treaty also established broad boundaries for the new nation, including territory extending west to the Mississippi River.
The treaty was signed by David Hartley for Britain and by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay for the United States. Henry Laurens had helped negotiate the agreement but did not sign the final document. The treaty followed preliminary articles agreed in November 1782.
Signing and ratification were separate steps. The Confederation Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784, and the ratified documents were exchanged in Paris on May 12. The wider Peace of Paris also included separate agreements involving France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic.