The Treaty of Paris formally recognized United States independence in 1783. American and British representatives signed the peace agreement on September 3, ending the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States.
The treaty required Britain to recognize the United States as a sovereign nation and established boundaries reaching west to the Mississippi River, north to the Great Lakes, and south to Spanish Florida. It also addressed fishing rights and debts owed to British creditors.
The agreement was negotiated in Paris by American representatives including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. It is distinct from the 1783 Treaty of Paris involving Britain, France, Spain, and other powers, and from the 1783 armistice that preceded the final settlement. Its recognition of sovereignty is a central milestone in the long history commemorated by America250.