The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War in 1783, a milestone remembered for America's 250th anniversary.
Representatives of Great Britain and the United States signed the treaty in Paris on September 3, 1783. Britain recognized the former Thirteen Colonies as free, sovereign, and independent states. The agreement also established boundaries for the new United States, extending west to the Mississippi River.
The treaty followed preliminary articles signed in November 1782. The American negotiators were Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, although Laurens played a smaller role in the final negotiations. The treaty became effective after ratification by both governments.
The Treaty of Paris is sometimes confused with the Peace of Paris, the broader group of agreements that ended the war between Britain and the various European powers involved. The separate treaties with France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic formed part of that wider settlement.