the paris peace treaty of 1783 - oas paris peace treaty of 1783 in the name of the most holy and...

TheParisPeaceTreatyof1783

InthenameofthemostholyandundividedTrinity.

IthavingpleasedtheDivineProvidencetodisposetheheartsofthemostsereneandmostpotentPrinceGeorgetheThird,bythegraceofGod,kingofGreatBritain,France,andIreland,defenderofthefaith,dukeofBrunswickandLunebourg,arch‐treasurerandprinceelectoroftheHolyRomanEmpireetc.,andoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica,toforgetallpastmisunderstandingsanddifferencesthathaveunhappilyinterruptedthegoodcorrespondenceandfriendshipwhichtheymutuallywishtorestore,andtoestablishsuchabeneficialandsatisfactoryintercourse,betweenthetwocountriesuponthegroundofreciprocaladvantagesandmutualconvenienceasmaypromoteandsecuretobothperpetualpeaceandharmony;andhavingforthisdesirableendalreadylaidthefoundationofpeaceandreconciliationbytheProvisionalArticlessignedatParisonthe30thofNovember1782,bythecommissionersempoweredoneachpart,whicharticleswereagreedtobeinsertedinandconstitutetheTreatyofPeaceproposedtobeconcludedbetweentheCrownofGreatBritainandthesaidUnitedStates,butwhichtreatywasnottobeconcludeduntiltermsofpeaceshouldbeagreeduponbetweenGreatBritainandFranceandhisBritannicMajestyshouldbereadytoconcludesuchtreatyaccordingly;andthetreatybetweenGreatBritainandFrancehavingsincebeenconcluded,hisBritannicMajestyandtheUnitedStatesofAmerica,inordertocarryintofulleffecttheProvisionalArticlesabovementioned,accordingtothetenorthereof,haveconstitutedandappointed,thatistosayhisBritannicMajestyonhispart,DavidHartley,Esqr.,memberoftheParliamentofGreatBritain,andthesaidUnitedStatesontheirpart,JohnAdams,Esqr.,lateacommissioneroftheUnitedStatesofAmericaatthecourtofVersailles,latedelegateinCongressfromthestateofMassachusetts,andchiefjusticeofthesaidstate,andministerplenipotentiaryofthesaidUnitedStatestotheirhighmightinessestheStatesGeneraloftheUnitedNetherlands;BenjaminFranklin,Esqr.,latedelegateinCongressfromthestateofPennsylvania,presidentoftheconventionofthesaidstate,andministerplenipotentiaryfromtheUnitedStatesofAmericaatthecourtofVersailles;JohnJay,Esqr.,latepresidentofCongressandchiefjusticeofthestateofNewYork,andministerplenipotentiaryfromthesaidUnitedStatesatthecourtofMadrid;tobeplenipotentiariesfortheconcludingandsigningthepresentdefinitivetreaty;whoafterhavingreciprocallycommunicatedtheirrespectivefullpowershaveagreeduponandconfirmedthefollowingarticles.

Article1:

HisBrittanicMajestyacknowledgesthesaidUnitedStates,viz.,NewHampshire,MassachusettsBay,RhodeIslandandProvidencePlantations,Connecticut,NewYork,NewJersey,Pennsylvania,Maryland,Virginia,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolinaandGeorgia,tobefreesovereignandindependentstates,thathetreatswiththemassuch,andforhimself,hisheirs,and

successors,relinquishesallclaimstothegovernment,propriety,andterritorialrightsofthesameandeverypartthereof.

Article2:

AndthatalldisputeswhichmightariseinfutureonthesubjectoftheboundariesofthesaidUnitedStatesmaybeprevented,itisherebyagreedanddeclared,thatthefollowingareandshallbetheirboundaries,viz.;fromthenorthwestangleofNovaScotia,viz.,thatnaglewhichisformedbyalinedrawnduenorthfromthesourceofSt.CroixRivertothehighlands;alongthesaidhighlandswhichdividethoseriversthatemptythemselvesintotheriverSt.Lawrence,fromthosewhichfallintotheAtlanticOcean,tothenorthwesternmostheadofConnecticutRiver;thencedownalongthemiddleofthatrivertotheforty‐fifthdegreeofnorthlatitude;fromthencebyalineduewestonsaidlatitudeuntilitstrikestheriverIroquoisorCataraquy;thencealongthemiddleofsaidriverintoLakeOntario;throughthemiddleofsaidlakeuntilitstrikesthecommunicationbywaterbetweenthatlakeandLakeErie;thencealongthemiddleofsaidcommunicationintoLakeErie,throughthemiddleofsaidlakeuntilitarrivesatthewatercommunicationbetweenthatlakeandLakeHuron;thencealongthemiddleofsaidwatercommunicationintoLakeHuron,thencethroughthemiddleofsaidlaketothewatercommunicationbetweenthatlakeandLakeSuperior;thencethroughLakeSuperiornorthwardoftheIslesRoyalandPhelipeauxtotheLongLake;thencethroughthemiddleofsaidLongLakeandthewatercommunicationbetweenitandtheLakeoftheWoods,tothesaidLakeoftheWoods;thencethroughthesaidlaketothemostnorthwesternmostpointthereof,andfromthenceonaduewestcoursetotheriverMississippi;thencebyalinetobedrawnalongthemiddleofthesaidriverMississippiuntilitshallintersectthenorthernmostpartofthethirty‐firstdegreeofnorthlatitude,South,byalinetobedrawndueeastfromthedeterminationofthelinelastmentionedinthelatitudeofthirty‐onedegreesoftheequator,tothemiddleoftheriverApalachicolaorCatahouche;thencealongthemiddlethereoftoitsjunctionwiththeFlintRiver,thencestraighttotheheadofSaintMary'sRiver;andthencedownalongthemiddleofSaintMary'sRivertotheAtlanticOcean;east,byalinetobedrawnalongthemiddleoftheriverSaintCroix,fromitsmouthintheBayofFundytoitssource,andfromitssourcedirectlynorthtotheaforesaidhighlandswhichdividetheriversthatfallintotheAtlanticOceanfromthosewhichfallintotheriverSaintLawrence;comprehendingallislandswithintwentyleaguesofanypartoftheshoresoftheUnitedStates,andlyingbetweenlinestobedrawndueeastfromthepointswheretheaforesaidboundariesbetweenNovaScotiaontheonepartandEastFloridaontheothershall,respectively,touchtheBayofFundyandtheAtlanticOcean,exceptingsuchislandsasnowareorheretoforehavebeenwithinthelimitsofthesaidprovinceofNovaScotia.

Article3:

ItisagreedthatthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesshallcontinuetoenjoyunmolestedtherighttotakefishofeverykindontheGrandBankandonalltheotherbanksofNewfoundland,alsointheGulfofSaintLawrenceandatallotherplacesinthesea,wheretheinhabitantsofbothcountriesusedatanytimeheretoforetofish.AndalsothattheinhabitantsoftheUnitedStatesshallhavelibertytotakefishofeverykindonsuchpartofthecoastofNewfoundlandasBritishfishermenshalluse,(butnottodryorcurethesameonthatisland)andalsoonthecoasts,baysandcreeksofallotherofhisBrittanicMajesty'sdominionsinAmerica;andthattheAmericanfishermenshallhavelibertytodryandcurefishinanyoftheunsettledbays,harbors,andcreeksofNovaScotia,MagdalenIslands,andLabrador,solongasthesameshallremainunsettled,butsosoonasthesameoreitherofthemshallbesettled,itshallnotbelawfulforthesaidfishermentodryorcurefishatsuchsettlementwithoutapreviousagreementforthatpurposewiththeinhabitants,proprietors,orpossessorsoftheground.

Article4:

Itisagreedthatcreditorsoneithersideshallmeetwithnolawfulimpedimenttotherecoveryofthefullvalueinsterlingmoneyofallbonafidedebtsheretoforecontracted.

Article5:

ItisagreedthatCongressshallearnestlyrecommendittothelegislaturesoftherespectivestatestoprovidefortherestitutionofallestates,rights,andproperties,whichhavebeenconfiscatedbelongingtorealBritishsubjects;andalsooftheestates,rights,andpropertiesofpersonsresidentindistrictsinthepossessiononhisMajesty'sarmsandwhohavenotbornearmsagainstthesaidUnitedStates.AndthatpersonsofanyotherdecriptionshallhavefreelibertytogotoanypartorpartsofanyofthethirteenUnitedStatesandthereintoremaintwelvemonthsunmolestedintheirendeavorstoobtaintherestitutionofsuchoftheirestates,rights,andpropertiesasmayhavebeenconfiscated;andthatCongressshallalsoearnestlyrecommendtotheseveralstatesareconsiderationandrevisionofallactsorlawsregardingthepremises,soastorenderthesaidlawsoractsperfectlyconsistentnotonlywithjusticeandequitybutwiththatspiritofconciliationwhichonthereturnoftheblessingsofpeaceshoulduniversallyprevail.AndthatCongressshallalsoearnestlyrecommendtotheseveralstatesthattheestates,rights,andproperties,ofsuchlastmentionedpersonsshallberestoredtothem,theyrefundingtoanypersonswhomaybenowinpossessionthebonafideprice(whereanyhasbeengiven)whichsuchpersonsmayhavepaidonpurchasinganyofthesaidlands,rights,orpropertiessincetheconfiscation.Anditisagreedthatallpersonswhohaveanyinterestinconfiscatedlands,eitherbydebts,marriagesettlements,or

otherwise,shallmeetwithnolawfulimpedimentintheprosecutionoftheirjustrights.

Article6:

Thatthereshallbenofutureconfiscationsmadenoranyprosecutionscommencedagainstanypersonorpersonsfor,orbyreasonof,thepartwhichheortheymayhavetakeninthepresentwar,andthatnopersonshallonthataccountsufferanyfuturelossordamage,eitherinhisperson,liberty,orproperty;andthatthosewhomaybeinconfinementonsuchchargesatthetimeoftheratificationofthetreatyinAmericashallbeimmediatelysetatliberty,andtheprosecutionssocommencedbediscontinued.

Article7:

ThereshallbeafirmandperpetualpeacebetweenhisBrittanicMajestyandthesaidstates,andbetweenthesubjectsoftheoneandthecitizensoftheother,whereforeallhostilitiesbothbyseaandlandshallfromhenceforthcease.Allprisonersonbothsidesshallbesetatliberty,andhisBrittanicMajestyshallwithallconvenientspeed,andwithoutcausinganydestruction,orcarryingawayanyNegroesorotherpropertyoftheAmericaninhabitants,withdrawallhisarmies,garrisons,andfleetsfromthesaidUnitedStates,andfromeverypost,place,andharborwithinthesame;leavinginallfortifications,theAmericanartilerythatmaybetherein;andshallalsoorderandcauseallarchives,records,deeds,andpapersbelongingtoanyofthesaidstates,ortheircitizens,whichinthecourseofthewarmayhavefallenintothehandsofhisofficers,tobeforthwithrestoredanddeliveredtotheproperstatesandpersonstowhomtheybelong.

Article8:

ThenavigationoftheriverMississippi,fromitssourcetotheocean,shallforeverremainfreeandopentothesubjectsofGreatBritainandthecitizensoftheUnitedStates.

Article9:

IncaseitshouldsohappenthatanyplaceorterritorybelongingtoGreatBritainortotheUnitedStatesshouldhavebeenconqueredbythearmsofeitherfromtheotherbeforethearrivalofthesaidProvisionalArticlesinAmerica,itisagreedthatthesameshallberestoredwithoutdifficultyandwithoutrequiringanycompensation.

Article10:

Thesolemnratificationsofthepresenttreatyexpeditedingoodanddueformshallbeexchangedbetweenthecontractingpartiesinthespaceofsixmonthsorsooner,ifpossible,tobecomputedfromthedayofthe

signaturesofthepresenttreaty.Inwitnesswhereofwetheundersigned,theirministersplenipotentiary,haveintheirnameandinvirtueofourfullpowers,signedwithourhandsthepresentdefinitivetreatyandcausedthesealsofourarmstobeaffixedthereto.

DoneatParis,thisthirddayofSeptemberintheyearofourLord,onethousandsevenhundredandeighty‐three.

D.HARTLEY(SEAL)JOHNADAMS(SEAL)B.FRANKLIN(SEAL)JOHNJAY(SEAL)