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DEFINITIVE TREATY BETWEEN GREAT-BRITAIN AND THE U.S.

 
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:59 am    Post subject: DEFINITIVE TREATY BETWEEN GREAT-BRITAIN AND THE U.S. Reply with quote

THE DEFINITIVE TREATY

BETWEEN

GREAT-BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Signed at Paris, September 3, 1783.
In the name of the moft holy and undivided Trinity.

IT having pleafed the Divine Providence to difpofe the hearts of the moft ferene and moft potent prince George the Third, by the grace of God, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, Duke of Brunfwick and Lunenburgh, arch-treafurer and prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of America, to forget all paft mifunderftandings and dif­ferences, that have unhappily interrupted the good correfpondence and friendfhip which they mutually wifh to reftore; and to eftablifh fuch a beneficial and fatisfactory intercourfe between the two coun­tries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and fecure to both perpetual peace and harmony, and having, for this defirable end, already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provifional articles figned at Paris, on the 30th of November, 1782, by the commiffioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inferted in, and to coftitute the treaty of peace propofed to be concluded between the Crown of Great-Britain and the faid United States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace fhould be agreed upon between Great-Britain and France, and his Britannic Majefty fhould be ready to conclude fuch treaty accordingly; and the treaty between Great-Britain and France having fince been concluded, his Britannic Majefty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provifional articles above mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have conftituted and appointed, that is to fay, his Britannic Majefty on his part, David Hartley, Efq. member of the parliament of Great-Britain; and the faid United States on their part, John Adams, Efq. late a commffioner of the United States of America, at the court of Verfailles, late delegate in Congrefs from the State of Maffachufetts, and chief juftice of the faid State, and minifter plenipotentiary of the faid United States, to their High Mightineffes the States-General of the United Netherlands; Benjamin Franklin, Efq. late delegate in Congrefs from the State of Pennfylvania, prefident of the convention of the faid State, and minifter plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the court of Verfailles; and John Jay, Efq. late prefident of Congrefs, chief juftice of the State of New-York, and minifter plenipotentiary from the faid United States at the court of Madrid; to be the plenipotentiaries for concluding and figning the prefent Definitive Treaty; who, after having reciprocally communicated their refpective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following articles:

.....Article I. His Britannic Majefty acknowledges the faid United States, viz. New-Hampfhire, Maffachufetts-Bay, Rhode-Ifland and Providence plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jerfey, Pennfylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia, to be free, fovereign and independent States; that he treats with them as fuch, and for himfelf, his heirs and fucceffors, relinquifhes all claims to the government, propriety, and ter­ritorial rights of the fame, and every part thereof.

.....Art. II. And that all difputes, which might arife in future, on the fubject of the boundaries of the faid United States, may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and fhall be their boundaries, viz. from the north-weft angle of Nova-Scotia, viz. That angle which is formed by a line, drawn due north from the fource of St. Croix river to the highlands, along the faid highlands, which divide thofe rivers that empty themfelves into the river St. Lawrence from thofe which fall into the Atlantic ocean, to the north wefternmoft head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due weft on faid latitude, until it ftrikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy; thence along the middle of the faid river into lake Ontario; through the middle of faid lake until it ftrikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the middle of faid communication into lake Erie; through the middle of faid lake until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and lake Huron; thence along the middle of faid water communication; thence through the middle of faid lake to the water communication between that lake and lake Superior; thence through lake Superior northward of the ifles Royal and Philipeaux to the Long lake; thence through the middle of faid Long lake and the water communication between it and the lake of the Woods, to the faid lake of the Woods; thence through the faid lake to the moft north-weftern point thereof, and from thence in a due weft courfe to the river Miffiffippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the faid river Miffiffippi until it fhall intetfect the northern moft part of the thirty-firft degree of north lati­tude. South, by a line to be drawn due eaft from the determination of the line laft mentioned in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof, to its junction with the Flint river; thence ftrait to the head of St. Mary's river; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the Atlantic ocean. Eaft, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy, to its fource, and from its fource dirctly north to the aforefaid highlands, which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean, from thofe which fall into the river St. Lawrence, comprehending all iflands within twenty leagues of any part of the fhores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due eaft from the points where the aforefaid boundaries between Nova-Scotia on the one part, and Eaft-Florida on the other, fhall refpectively touch the bay of Fundy, and the Atlantic ocean, excepting fuch iflands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of the faid province of Nova-Scotia.

.....Art. III. It is agreed, that the people of the United States, fhall continue to enjoy, unmolefted, the right to take fifh of every kind on the Grand Bank, and on all the other banks of Newfoundland, alfo in the gulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the fea, where the inhabitants of both countries, ufed at any time heretofore to fifh. And alfo, that the inhabitants of the United States fhall have liberty to take fifh of every kind on fuch part of the coaft of Newfoundland, as Britifh fifhermen fhall ufe (but not to dry or cure the fame oh that ifland) and alfo on the coafts, bays, and creeks, of all other of his Britannic Majefty's dominions in America; and that the American fifhermen fhall have liberty to dry and cure fifh in any of the unfettled bays, harbours and creeks, of Nova-Scotia, Magdalen iflands, and Labrador, fo long as the fame fhall remain unfettled; but fo foon as the fame or either of them fhall be fettled, it fhall not be lawful for the faid fifhermen to dry or cure fifh at fuch fettlement, without a previous agreerment for that purpofe with the inhabitants, proprietors, or poffeffors of the ground.

.....Art. IV. It is agreed, that the creditors on either fide fhall meet with no lawful impediment to the recovery of the full value, in fterling money, of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

.....Art. V. It is agreed, that Congrefs fhall earneftly recommend it to the legiflatures of the refpective States, to provide for the reftitution of all eftates, rights and properties, which have been confifcated, belonging to real Britifh fubjectcs; and alfo of the eftates, rights and properties, of perfons refident in diftricts in poffeffion of his Majefty's arms, and who have not borne arms againft the faid United States; and that perfons of any other defcription fhall have free liberty to go to any part or parts of the Thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months unmolefted, in their endeavours to obtain the reftitution of fuch of their eftates, rights and properties, as may have been confifcated; and that Congrefs fhall alfo earneftly recommend to the feveral States, a re-confideration and revifion of all acts or laws refpecting the premifes, fo as to render the faid acts or laws perfectly confiftent, not only with juftice and equity, but with that fpirit of conciliation, which, on the return of the bleffings of peace, fhould univerfally prevail: and that Congrefs fhall alfo earneftly recommend to the feveral States, that the eftates, rights and properties, of fuch laft-mentioned perfons fhall be reftored to them, they refunding to any perfons who may now be in poffeffion, the bona fide price (where any has been given) which, fuch perfons may have paid, on purchafing any of the faid lands, rights or properties, fince the confifcation. And it is agreed, that all perfons, who may have any intereft in confifcated lands, either by debts, marriage-fettlements, or otherwife, fhall meet with no lawful impediment in the profecution of their juft rights.

.....Art. VI. That there fhall be no future confifcations made, nor any profecutions commenced, againft any perfon or perfons, for, or by reafon of the part which he or they may have taken in the prefent war: and that no perfon fhall, on that account, fuffer any further lofs or damage, either in his perfon, liberty or property: and that thofe who may be in confinement on fuch charges, at the time of the ratification of the treaty in America, fhall be immediately fet at liberty, and the profecution, fo commenced, be difcontinued.

.....Art. VII. There fhall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Britannic Majefty and the faid States, and between the fubjects of the one and the citizens of the other; wherefore all hoftilities, both by fea and land, fhall from henceforth ceafe; all prifoners on both fides fhall be fet at liberty; and his Britannic Majefty fhall, with all convenient fpeed, and without caufing any deftruction, or carrying away any negroes, or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrifons and fleets, from the faid United States, and from every poft, place and harbour, within the fame, leaving in all fortifications the American artillery that may be therein; and fhall alfo order and caufe all archives, records, deeds and papers, belonging to any of the faid States, or their citizens, which, in the courfe of the war, may have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith reftored, and delivered to the proper States and perfons to whom they belong.

.....Art. VIII. The navigation of the river Miffiffippi, from its fource to the ocean, fhall for ever remain free and open to the fubjects of Great-Britain and the citizens of the United States.

.....Art. IX. In cafe it fhould fo happen, that any place or territory belonging to Great-Britain, or to the United States, fhould have been conquered by the arms of either from the other, before the arrival of the faid provifional articles in America, it is agreed, that the fame fhall be reftored without difficulty, and without requiring compenfation.

.....Art. X. The folemn ratifications of the prefent treaty, expedited in good and due form, fhall be exchanged between the contracting parties in the fpace of fix months, or fooner, if poffible, to be computed from the day of the fignature of the prefent treaty. In witnefs thereof, we the underfigned, their minifters plenipotentiary, have, in their name, and in virtue of our full powers, figned with our hands the prefent Definitive Treaty, and caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto. Done at Paris, September 3, 1783.

..........(L.S.).....JOHN ADAMS,
..........(L.S.).....DAVID HARTLEY,
..........(L.S.).....B. FRANKLIN,
..........(L.S.).....JOHN JAY.

Source: An Historical Geographical, Commercial and Philosophical View of the American United States and of the European Settlements in America and the West-Indies; W. Winterbotham, In Four Volumes. Vol. IV. London: Printed for the editor; J. Ridgway, York-Street; H. D. Symonds, Paternoster Row; and D. Holt, Newark. 1795.
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