The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized U.S. independence, a milestone behind America’s 250th anniversary.
Representatives of the United States and Great Britain signed the treaty on September 3, 1783. Britain recognized the United States as a sovereign nation and accepted boundaries extending west to the Mississippi River.
The treaty formally concluded the war, although military evacuation and implementation took additional time. American negotiators included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens.
The Treaty of Paris is often confused with the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the wider Anglo-French conflict in Europe, but the U.S. agreement specifically settled Britain’s war with the American states. The 1783 peace settlement involved several related treaties.