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No. I. (B.)

The Definitive Treaty of PEACE and FRIENDSHIP between His Britannick Majesty, and the United States of America. Signed at Paris, the 3d of September, 1783.

In the Name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity. IT having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts of the most serene and most potent Prince, George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, arch-treasurer and prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. and of the United States of America, to forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore; and to establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and having for this desirable end already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provisional articles signed at Paris, on the 30th of November, 1782, by the commissioners empowered on each part; which articles were agreed to be inserted in, and to constitute, the treaty of peace, proposed to be concluded between the crown of Great Britain and the said United States, but which treaty was not to be concluded until terms of peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France, and his Britannick majesty should be ready to conclude such treaty accordingly; and the treaty between Great Britain and France having since been concluded, his Britannick majesty and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provisional articles above-mentioned, according to the tenor thereof, have constituted and appointed, that is to say, his Britannick majesty, on his part, David Hartley, esq. member of the parliament of Great Britain; and the said United States, on their part, John Adams, esq. late a commissioner of the United States of America at the court of Versailles, late delegate in congress from the state of Massachusetts, and chief justice of the said State, and minister plenipotentiary of the said United States to their high mightinesses the states general of the United Netherlands; BenjaminFranklin, esq. late delegate in congress from the state of Pennsylvania, president of the convention of the said state, and minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the court of Versailles; John Jay, esq. late president of congress, and chief justice of the state` of New York, and minister plenipotentiary from the said United States at the court of Madrid; to be the plenipotentiaries for the concluding and signing the present definitive treaty; Who, after having recipro

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cally communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following articles :

ARTICLE I.

His Britannick majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be free, sovereign, and independent states; that he treats with them as such; and for himself, his heirs and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof.

ARTICLE II.

And that all disputes which might arise in future on the subject of the boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and shal! be their boundaries, viz. from the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north, from the source of St. Croix river to the Highlands, along the said Highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north-westermost head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of that river to the fortyfifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due west on said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy; thence along the middle of said river into lake Ontario; through the middle of said lake, until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into lake Erie; through the middle of said lake until it arrives at the water-communication between that lake and lake Huron; thence along the middle of said water-communication into the lake Huron ; thence through the middle of said lake to the water-communication between that lake and lake Superior; thence through lake Superior, northward of the Isles Royal and Phelipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of said Long Lake, and the water-communication between it and the lake of the woods, to the said lake of the woods; thence through the said lake to the most north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river Mississippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the said river Mississippi, until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude :-South, by a line to be drawn due east from the determination of the line last-mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one de grees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catabouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's river, and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the Atlantic Ocean :--East, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source; and from its source directly north to the aforesaid Highlands, which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean from those which fall into the river St. Lawrence ;

comprehending all Islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the bay of Fundy, and the Atlantic Ocean: excepting such Islands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of the said province of Nova Scotia.

ARTICLE III.

It is agreed, That the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank and on all the other banks of Newfoundland: also in the gulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the sea, where the inhabitants of both countries used at any time heretofore to fish. And also that the inhabitants of the United States shall have liberty to take fish of every kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as British fisherman shall use, (but not to dry or cure the same on that Island) and also on the coasts, bays, and creeks of all other of his Britannick majesty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen shall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen Islands, and Labrador, so long as the same shall remain unsettled; but so soon as the same, or either of them, fhall be settled, it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such settlement, without a previous agreement for that purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors or possessors of the ground.

ARTICLE IV.

It is agreed, That creditors on either side shall meet with no lawful impediments to the recovery of the full value in sterling money of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

ARTICLE V.

It is agreed, That the congress shall earnestly recommend it to the legislatures of the respective states, to provide for the restitution of all estates, rights, and properties which have been confiscated, belonging to real British subjects: and also of the estates, rights, and properties of persons resident in districts in the possession of his majesty's arms, and who have not borne arms against the said United States: and that persons of any other description shall have free liberty to go to any part or parts of any of the thirteen United States, and therein to remain twelve months unmolested in their endeavours to obtain the restitution of such of their estates, rights and properties as may have been confiscated: and that congress shall also earnestly recommend to the several states, a reconsideration and revision of all acts or laws regarding the premises, so as to render the said laws or acts perfectly consistent, not only with justice and equity, but with that spirit of conciliation, which, on the return of the blessings of peace, should universally prevail. And that congress shall also earnestly recommend to-the several states, that the estates, rights, and properties of such last-mentioned persons shall be restored to them, they refunding

to any persons who may be now in possession the bona fide price (where any has been given) which such persons may have paid on purchasing any of the said lands, rights, or properties since the confisca tion.

And it is agreed, That all persons who have any interest in confiscated lands, either by debts, marriage settlements, or otherwise, shall meet with no lawful impediment in the prosecution of their just rights.

ARTICLE VI.

That there shall be no future confiscations made, nor any prosecu tions commenced against any person or persons, for or by reason of the part which he or they may have taken in the present war; and that no person shall on that account suffer any future loss or damage either in his person, liberty, or property; and that those who may be in confinement on such charges at the time of the ratification of the treaty in America shall be immediately set at liberty, and the prosecu、 tions so commenced be discontinued.

ARTICLE VII.

There shall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Britannick majesty and the said States, and between the subjects of the one and the citizens of the other, wherefore all hostilities both by sea and land shall from henceforth cease: all prisoners on both sides shall be set at liberty, and his Britannick majesty shall with all convenient speed, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any negroes, or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from the said United States, and from every port, place, and harbour within the same; leaving in all fortifications the American artillery that may be therein and shall also order and cause all archives, records, deeds, and papers belonging to any of the said States, or their citizens, which in the course of the war may have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith restored and delivered to the proper states and persons to whom they belong.

ARTICLE VIII.

The navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, shall for ever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain, and the citizens of the United States.

ARTICLE IX.

In case it should so happen that any place or territory belonging to Great Britain, or to the United States, should have been conquered by the arms of either, from the other, before the arrival of the said provisional articles in America, it is agreed that the same shall be restored without difficulty, and without requiring any compensation.

ARTICLE X.

The solemn ratifications of the present treaty, expedited in good and due form, shall be exchanged between the contracting parties in

the space of six months, or sooner, if possible, to be computed from the day of the signature of the present treaty.

In witness whereof, we, the undersigned, their ministers plenipotentiary, have in their name, and in virtue of our full powers, signed with our hands the present definitive treaty, and caused the seals of our arms to be affixed thereto.

Done at Paris, this third day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three.

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His Britannic Majesty's Full Power.
GEORGE R.

GEORGE the third, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, arch-treasurer and prince elector of the holy Roman empire, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: whereas for the perfecting and establishing the peace, friendship, and good understanding, so happily commenced by the provisional articles, signed at Paris the thirtieth day of November last, by the commissioners of us and our good friends the United States of America, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, in North America; and for opening, promoting, and rendering perpetual, the mutual intercourse of trade and commerce between our kingdoms and the dominions of the said United States, we have thought proper to invest some fit person with full powers, on our part, to meet and confer with the ministers of the said United States, now residing at Paris, duly authorized for the accomplishing of such laudable and salutary purposes; now know ye, that we reposing special trust and confidence in the wisdom, loyalty, diligence and circumspection of our trusty and well-beloved David Hartley, esq. (on whom we have therefore conferred the rank of our minister plenipotentiary) have nominated, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do nominate, constitute and appoint him our true, certain, and undoubted commissioner, procurator, and plenipotentiary; giving and granting to him all and all manner of faculty, power, and authority, together with general as well as special order (so as the general do not derogate from the special, nor on the contrary) for us, and in our name, to meet, confer, treat, and conclude with the minister or ministers furnished with sufficient powers, on the part of our said good friends the United States of America, of and concerning all such matters and things as may be requisite and necessary for accomplishing and completing the several facts and purposes herein before men. tioned; and also for us, and in our name, to sign such treaty or

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