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Pre-Revolution Timeline - The 1780s
The war would continue for four years into the decade, then the problems of demacracy would begin. It didn't take a day or year to hammer out the details of how thirteen disparate colonies would join as one nation, in a form of government never tried before. It would take until the end of the decade for them to elect, indirectly, the first president, George Washington, and see the experiment begin in earnest.
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American Revolution Historic Sites
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Top: George Washington. Commander of the Continental Army and 1st President of the U.S.A. Courtesy NARA. Right: Surrender at Yorktown. Courtesy Library of Congress.
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Timeline
1783 Detail
April 15, 1783 - Congress ratifies the preliminary peace treaty, ending the Revolutionary War.
Of course, there were debates about some of its provisions, but as it had been a preliminary document, written by men they respected and had given authority to craft, some of those would be worked out over the course of the next year. George Washington and the Continental Congress had, during the six months in between, been wary of the British keeping the terms, and although land battles had ceased, watched the French and British battle on the high seas. It was not until Benjamin Franklin in correspondence with his counterpart in Britain on January 20-21, 1783, that they felt comfortable with issuing a proclamation ending the war on April 11, 1783.
A Proclamation
Declaring the cessation of arms, as well by sea as by land, agreed upon between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty; and enjoining the observance thereof.
Whereas provisional articles were signed at Paris on the thirtieth day of November last, between the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States of America for treating of peace, and the minister plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty, to be inserted in, and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, when terms of peace should be agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring beace between their most Christian and Britannic Majesties were signed at Versailles, on the twentieth day of January last, by the ministers of their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring peace beween the said king of Great Britain and the king of Spain, were also signed at Versailles on the same twentieth day of January last:
By which said preliminary articles it hath been agreed, that as soon as the same were ratified, hostilities between the said kings, their kingdoms, states and subjects, should cease in all parts of the world: and it was further agreed, that all vessels and effect that might be taken in the channel and in the North seas, after the space of twelve days from the ratification of the said preliminary articles, should be restored; that the term should be one month from the channel and North seas as far as the Canary islands, inclusively, whether in the ocean or the Mediterranean; two months from the said Canary islands as far as the quinoctial line or equator: and lastly, five months in all other parts of the world, without an exception or more particular description of time or place: and whereas it was declared by the minister plenipotentiary of the king of Great Britain, in the name by the express order of the king his master, on the said twentieth day of January last, that the said United States of America, their subjects and their possessions, shall be comprised in the above mentioned suspension of arms, at the same epochs, and in the same manner as the three crowns above mentioned, their subjects and possesssions respectively; upon condition, that on the part and in the name of the United States of America, a similar declaration shall be delivered, expressly declaring their assent to the said suspension of arms, and containing an assurance of the most perfect reciprocity on their part: and whereas the ministers plenipotentiary of these United States, did, on the twentieth day of January, in the name and by the authority of the said United States, accept the said declaration, and declare that the said states should cause all hostilities to cease against his Britannic Majesty, his subjects and his possesssions, at the terms and epochs agreed upon between his said Majesty the King of Spain, so and in the same manner as had been agreed upon between those three crowns, and to produce the same effects: and whereas the ratifications of the said preliminary articles, between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, were exchanged by their ministers on the third day of February last; and between his Britannic Majesty and the King of Spain, on the 9th day of February last: and whereas it is our will and pleasure, that the cessation of hostilities between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, should be comformable to the epochs fixed between their most Christian and Britannic Majesties:
We have thought fit to make known the same to the citizens of these states; and we hereby strictly charge and command all our officers, both by sea and land, and other subjects of these United States, for forbear all acts of hostility, either by sea or by land, against his Britannic Majesty or his subjects, from and after the respective times agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, as aforesaid.
And we do further require all governors and others, the executive powers of these United States respectively, to cause this our proclamation to be made public, to the end that the same may be duly observed with their several jurisdictions.
Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and of our sovereignty and independence the seventh.
[On the question to agree to the foregoing proclamation, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer.
All representives to the Continental Congress voted in the affirmative.
The Vote on the Preliminary Peace Treaty, April 15, 1783
The Continental Congress took up the words of the Preliminary Peace Treaty four days later, on Tuesday, April 15, 1783. A letter was read by Thomas Crittenden from March 18; another from April 11 was read from the President of the Council of Pennsylvania to their state delegates asking that measures be taken to secure negroes belonging to the citizens of that State. A letter from General George Washington was also read from April 14.
After that, the resolution was written, with some corrections that have been eliminated from the below, for the men of the Continental Congress to consider.
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare and lay before Congress a draft of a ratification of the articles entered into between the Commissioners of the United States and the Commissioner of his Britannic Majesty at Paris on the 30th day of November last.
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be directed to enter into preparatory arrangements relative to the 7th Article of the said Treaty with the Commanders in Chief of the British land and naval forces in America, and that a committee be appointed to prepare a letter to him on the subject.
Resolved, unanimously, That the said articles be ratified, and that a ratification in due form be sent to our Ministers Plenipotentiary at the Court of Versailles, to be exchanged if an exchange shall be necessary.
Resolved, That the agent of marine cause all the naval prisoners to be set a liberty.
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be, and he is hereby instructed to make the proper arrangements with the Commander in Chief of the British forces, for receiving possession of the posts in the United States occupied by the troops of his Britannic Majesty; and for obtaining the delivery of all negroes and other property of the inhabitants of the United States in possession of the British forces, or any subjects of, or adherents to his said Britannic Majesty; and that the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Commander in Chief, take proper arrangements for setting at liberty all land prisoners.
When the foregoing resolution was under debate, a motion was made by Mr. Abraham Clark, seconded by Mr. Elephant Dyer, to strike out the words "in conjunction with the Commander in Chief": which was agreed to.
Resolved, That the form of the ratification be as follows: The United States in Congress assembled, To all who shall see these presents Greeting:
Whereas in and by our commission dated at Philadelphia the fifteenth day of June in our year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty one the honorable John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and Thomas Jefferson, or a majority of them or of such of them as might assemble, or, in the case of the death, absence, indisposition or other impediment of the others, any one of them, were constituted and appointed our Ministers, with full power and authority general and special, to confer, treat, agree, and conclude with the ambassadors, commissioners and plenipotentiaries of the princes and states whom it might concern, vested with equal powers relating to the establishment of peace, and whatsoever should be agreed and concluded for us, and in our name to sign, and thereupon make a treaty or treaties, and to transact everything that might be necessary for compleating, securing and strengthening the great work of pacification in as ample form and with the same effect as if we were personally present and acted therein, we promising at the same time in good faith that we would accept, ratify, fulfil and execute what should be agreed, concluded and signed by our said Ministers Plenipotentiary, or a majority of them or of such as might assemble, or, in case of death, absence, indisposition or other impediment of the others, by any one of them;
And whereas John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Henry Laurens, four of our said Commissioners, in pursuance of the powers aforesaid, on the thirtieth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, with Richard Oswald esquire, Commissioner for his Britannic Majesty for treating of peace with the Commissioners of the United States of America, in virtue of powers to him granted by his said Britannic Majesty, did conclude and sign on the part of the United States of America and the Crown of Great Britian, articles in the words following;
So after reading the preliminary treaty, as written in a prior article, the resolution and treaty were effectively passed. A final peace treaty would have to be negotiated, but for all intents and purposes, the American Revolution was over.
Photo above: Image of the Battle of Lexington, Amos Doolittle. Date unknown, late 1700s, early 1800s. Image courtesy Library of Congress. Below: Photo of three of the four negotiators for the United States in Paris 1782. Montage (left) Henry Laurens, 1781, Lemuel Francis Abbott; (center) John Jay, 1794, Gilbert Stuart; (right) John Adams, 1800/1815, Gilbert Stuart. All courtesy National Portrait Gallery via Wikipedia Commons. Sources: "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875, Journals of the Continental Congress, Volume 24," Library of Congress; Wikipedia Commons.
History Photo Bomb
Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
Courtesy National Archives.
ABH Travel Tip
Get off the beaten path. Walk the land of the national
historic or state historic site in the early morning or when twilight is nigh, when the exhibits are closed,
and imagine what life was like during the time when
history was made there. Photo Princeton Battlefield, New Jersey.
Ben Franklin, American statesman. Courtesy National Archives.
Timeline Book
George Washington and British at the surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Courtesy National Archives.
Official Souvenirs
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Whereas provisional articles were signed at Paris on the thirtieth day of November last, between the ministers plenipotentiary of the United States of America for treating of peace, and the minister plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty, to be inserted in, and to constitute the treaty of peace proposed to be concluded between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, when terms of peace should be agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring beace between their most Christian and Britannic Majesties were signed at Versailles, on the twentieth day of January last, by the ministers of their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties: and whereas preliminaries for restoring peace beween the said king of Great Britain and the king of Spain, were also signed at Versailles on the same twentieth day of January last:
By which said preliminary articles it hath been agreed, that as soon as the same were ratified, hostilities between the said kings, their kingdoms, states and subjects, should cease in all parts of the world: and it was further agreed, that all vessels and effect that might be taken in the channel and in the North seas, after the space of twelve days from the ratification of the said preliminary articles, should be restored; that the term should be one month from the channel and North seas as far as the Canary islands, inclusively, whether in the ocean or the Mediterranean; two months from the said Canary islands as far as the quinoctial line or equator: and lastly, five months in all other parts of the world, without an exception or more particular description of time or place: and whereas it was declared by the minister plenipotentiary of the king of Great Britain, in the name by the express order of the king his master, on the said twentieth day of January last, that the said United States of America, their subjects and their possessions, shall be comprised in the above mentioned suspension of arms, at the same epochs, and in the same manner as the three crowns above mentioned, their subjects and possesssions respectively; upon condition, that on the part and in the name of the United States of America, a similar declaration shall be delivered, expressly declaring their assent to the said suspension of arms, and containing an assurance of the most perfect reciprocity on their part: and whereas the ministers plenipotentiary of these United States, did, on the twentieth day of January, in the name and by the authority of the said United States, accept the said declaration, and declare that the said states should cause all hostilities to cease against his Britannic Majesty, his subjects and his possesssions, at the terms and epochs agreed upon between his said Majesty the King of Spain, so and in the same manner as had been agreed upon between those three crowns, and to produce the same effects: and whereas the ratifications of the said preliminary articles, between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, were exchanged by their ministers on the third day of February last; and between his Britannic Majesty and the King of Spain, on the 9th day of February last: and whereas it is our will and pleasure, that the cessation of hostilities between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty, should be comformable to the epochs fixed between their most Christian and Britannic Majesties:
We have thought fit to make known the same to the citizens of these states; and we hereby strictly charge and command all our officers, both by sea and land, and other subjects of these United States, for forbear all acts of hostility, either by sea or by land, against his Britannic Majesty or his subjects, from and after the respective times agreed upon between their Most Christian and Britannic Majesties, as aforesaid.
And we do further require all governors and others, the executive powers of these United States respectively, to cause this our proclamation to be made public, to the end that the same may be duly observed with their several jurisdictions.
Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and of our sovereignty and independence the seventh.
[On the question to agree to the foregoing proclamation, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [John Francis] Mercer.
All representives to the Continental Congress voted in the affirmative.
After that, the resolution was written, with some corrections that have been eliminated from the below, for the men of the Continental Congress to consider.
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare and lay before Congress a draft of a ratification of the articles entered into between the Commissioners of the United States and the Commissioner of his Britannic Majesty at Paris on the 30th day of November last.
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be directed to enter into preparatory arrangements relative to the 7th Article of the said Treaty with the Commanders in Chief of the British land and naval forces in America, and that a committee be appointed to prepare a letter to him on the subject.
Resolved, unanimously, That the said articles be ratified, and that a ratification in due form be sent to our Ministers Plenipotentiary at the Court of Versailles, to be exchanged if an exchange shall be necessary.
Resolved, That the agent of marine cause all the naval prisoners to be set a liberty.
Resolved, That the Commander in Chief be, and he is hereby instructed to make the proper arrangements with the Commander in Chief of the British forces, for receiving possession of the posts in the United States occupied by the troops of his Britannic Majesty; and for obtaining the delivery of all negroes and other property of the inhabitants of the United States in possession of the British forces, or any subjects of, or adherents to his said Britannic Majesty; and that the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Commander in Chief, take proper arrangements for setting at liberty all land prisoners.
When the foregoing resolution was under debate, a motion was made by Mr. Abraham Clark, seconded by Mr. Elephant Dyer, to strike out the words "in conjunction with the Commander in Chief": which was agreed to.
Resolved, That the form of the ratification be as follows: The United States in Congress assembled, To all who shall see these presents Greeting:
Whereas in and by our commission dated at Philadelphia the fifteenth day of June in our year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty one the honorable John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and Thomas Jefferson, or a majority of them or of such of them as might assemble, or, in the case of the death, absence, indisposition or other impediment of the others, any one of them, were constituted and appointed our Ministers, with full power and authority general and special, to confer, treat, agree, and conclude with the ambassadors, commissioners and plenipotentiaries of the princes and states whom it might concern, vested with equal powers relating to the establishment of peace, and whatsoever should be agreed and concluded for us, and in our name to sign, and thereupon make a treaty or treaties, and to transact everything that might be necessary for compleating, securing and strengthening the great work of pacification in as ample form and with the same effect as if we were personally present and acted therein, we promising at the same time in good faith that we would accept, ratify, fulfil and execute what should be agreed, concluded and signed by our said Ministers Plenipotentiary, or a majority of them or of such as might assemble, or, in case of death, absence, indisposition or other impediment of the others, by any one of them;
And whereas John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Henry Laurens, four of our said Commissioners, in pursuance of the powers aforesaid, on the thirtieth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, with Richard Oswald esquire, Commissioner for his Britannic Majesty for treating of peace with the Commissioners of the United States of America, in virtue of powers to him granted by his said Britannic Majesty, did conclude and sign on the part of the United States of America and the Crown of Great Britian, articles in the words following;
So after reading the preliminary treaty, as written in a prior article, the resolution and treaty were effectively passed. A final peace treaty would have to be negotiated, but for all intents and purposes, the American Revolution was over.
Photo above: Image of the Battle of Lexington, Amos Doolittle. Date unknown, late 1700s, early 1800s. Image courtesy Library of Congress. Below: Photo of three of the four negotiators for the United States in Paris 1782. Montage (left) Henry Laurens, 1781, Lemuel Francis Abbott; (center) John Jay, 1794, Gilbert Stuart; (right) John Adams, 1800/1815, Gilbert Stuart. All courtesy National Portrait Gallery via Wikipedia Commons. Sources: "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875, Journals of the Continental Congress, Volume 24," Library of Congress; Wikipedia Commons.
History Photo Bomb
Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
Courtesy National Archives.
ABH Travel Tip
Get off the beaten path. Walk the land of the national
historic or state historic site in the early morning or when twilight is nigh, when the exhibits are closed,
and imagine what life was like during the time when
history was made there. Photo Princeton Battlefield, New Jersey.
Ben Franklin, American statesman. Courtesy National Archives.
Timeline Book
George Washington and British at the surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Courtesy National Archives.
Official Souvenirs
Get history and national park souvenir t-shirts, mugs, stickers, posters, and other gifts from the official gear of America's Best History, now available on Zazzle, Cafepress, Amazon, and Redbubble.