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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Proclamation by the Continental Congress concerning the peace treaty between the United States and Great Britain
United States. Continental Congress
January 14, 1784
Volume 17, Pages 4-9

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A PROCLAMATION.
[From Executive Letter Book.]


By the United States in Congress Assembled.

Whereas definitive articles of peace and friendship, between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty were concluded and signed at Paris, on the 3d day of September, 1783, by the Plenipotentiaries of the said United States, and of his Britannic Majesty duly and respectively authorised for that purpose; which definitive articles are in the words following:

In the Name of the most Holy and Undivided Trinity:

It having pleased the divine Providence to have disposed the hearts of the most sincere 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 Lunenburg, Arch Treasurer and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, &c., and 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 & 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 impowered 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 the terms of Peace should be agreed upon between Great Britain and France and his Britannic Majesty should be ready to conclude such Treaty accordingly; and the Treaty between Great Britain and France, having since been concluded, his Britannic 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 Britannic Majesty

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on his part, David Hartley, Esquire, Member of Parliament of Great Britain and the said United States on their part, John Adams, Esquire, 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; Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, late Delegate in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania, President of the Convention of the said State, & Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the Court of Versailles; John Jay, Esquire, 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 reciprocally communicated their respective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following Articles.

Article 1st. His Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina & Georgia, to be free sovereign and independent States; that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs & successors, relinquishes all claims to the Government proprietary & territorial rights of the same and every part thereof.

Article 2nd. 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 shall 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 the rivers that empty themselves into the river Saint Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north westernmost 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 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

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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 Philipeaux 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 northwestern 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. Thence by a line to be drawn due East from the determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees North of the Equator, to the middle of the river Apalachecola or Chatahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence 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 saint 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 hereafter have been within the limits of the said province of Nova Scotia.

Article 3d. 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

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shall have liberty to take fish of every kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as British fishermen shall use (but not to dry or cure the same on that island) and also on the coasts, bays and creeks of all other his Britannic 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 & creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen Island, and Labrador so long as the same shall remain unsettled; but so soon as the same or either of them shall 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 4th. It is agreed that creditors on either side shall meet with no lawful impediment to the recovery to the full value in Sterling money of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

Article 5th. 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 parts of the thirteen United, 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 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 now be in possession the bona fide price (where any has been given) which such persons may have paid in purchasing any of the said Lands, rights or properties since the confiscation. And it is agreed that all persons who have any Interest in confiscated lands either by debts, marriage

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settlements, or otherwise shall meet with no lawful impediment in the prosecution of their just right.

Article 6th. That there shall be no future confiscations made nor any prosecutions 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 prosecutions so commenced be discontinued.

Article 7th. There shall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Britannic Maiesty 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 henceforth cease; all prisoners on both sides shall be set at liberty, and his Britannic Majesty shall with 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 post, 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 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 8th. The navigation of the River Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, shall for every remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain and the Citizens of the United States.

Article 9th. 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 10th. The solemn ratification 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.

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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 in Paris, this third day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three.
(L. S.) D. HARTLEY,
(L. S.) JOHN ADAMS,
(L. S.) B. FRANKLIN,
(L. S.) JOHN JAY.

And we, the United States in Congress assembled, having seen and duly considered the definitive articles aforesaid did by a certain Act under the seal of the United States, bearing date this 14th day of January, 1784, approve, ratify and confirm the same and every part & claims thereof, engaging and promising that we would sincerely and faithfully perform and observe the same, and never suffer them to be violated by any one, or transgressed in any manner as far as should be in our power; and being sincerely disposed to carry the said articles into execution truly, honestly and with good faith, according to the intent and meaning thereof, we have thought proper by these presents, to notify the premises to all the good citizens of these United States, hereby requiring and enjoining all bodies of Magistracy, Legislative, Executive and Judiciary, all persons bearing office, civil or military, of whatever rank, degree or power and all others the good citizens of these States of every vocation & condition, that reverencing those stipulations entered into on their behalf, under the authority of that federal bond by which their existence as an independent people is bound up together, and is known and acknowledged by the nations of the world, and that good faith which is every man's surest guide within their several offices, jurisdictions and vocations, they carry into effect the said definitive articles, and every clause and sentence thereof, sincerely, strictly and completely.

Given under the seal of the United States.

Witness His Excellency Thomas Mifflin, our President, at Annapolis this 14th Day of January, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty four, and of the sovereignty and Independendence of the United States of America the eighth.