Which treaty officially recognized the United States as independent after the American Revolutionary War?

The Treaty of Paris (1783) officially recognized the United States as independent after the American Revolutionary War.

Representatives of Great Britain and the United States signed the treaty in Paris on September 3, 1783. Its first article recognized the former thirteen colonies as free, sovereign, and independent states. The agreement formally ended the war between Britain and the United States.

The treaty also established boundaries for the new nation. The United States received territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, while Britain retained Canada. The agreement addressed fishing rights, debts, prisoners, and the treatment of Loyalists and confiscated property.

The Treaty of Paris is sometimes confused with the broader Peace of Paris, which included separate agreements involving France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic. The American treaty was ratified by the Confederation Congress in January 1784, and the ratified documents were exchanged later that year.