Hôtel d’York

In this building, on September 3, 1783, the representatives of the United States and the King of England signed the Treaty of Paris by which England recognized the independence of the thirteen colonies. David Hartley and Richard Oswald signed the treaty on behalf of England. The United States was represented by Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and John Adams. The treaty was ratified early in 1784 by the U.S. Congress assembled in Annapolis. The three American peace commissioners, John Jay, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, began to negotiate a “preliminary” separate peace with the British which was signed in November 1782. The official treaty in 1783 ended the war between the “mother country” and its former colonies. The same day, in Versailles, official peace treaties were signed between England and France and England and Spain.