Which treaty formally recognized the United States as independent in 1783?
Answer
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris formally recognized the United States as independent in 1783.
Representatives of Great Britain and the United States signed the treaty in Paris on September 3, 1783. Its first article acknowledged the former Thirteen Colonies as free, sovereign, and independent states. The agreement therefore converted the wartime declaration of independence into an international diplomatic settlement.
The American negotiators included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. David Hartley signed for Great Britain. The treaty also set boundaries, addressed debts, provided fishing rights, and included provisions concerning Loyalist property and prisoners of war.
The treaty was not the same event as the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration announced separation in 1776, while the Treaty of Paris ended the war and secured British recognition seven years later. Congress ratified it on January 14, 1784.