Although Cornwallis's defeat did not immediately end the war
– which would drag on inconclusively for almost two more years –
a new British government decided to pursue peace negotiations in
Paris in early 1782, with the American side represented by
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. On April 15, 1783,
Congress approved the final treaty. Signed on September 3,
the Treaty of Paris acknowledged the independence, freedom, and
sovereignty of the 13 former colonies, now states. The new
United States stretched west to the Mississippi River, north to
Canada, and south to Florida, which was returned to Spain. The
fledgling colonies that Richard Henry Lee had spoken of more
than seven years before had finally become "free and independent
states."
The task of knitting together a nation remained.
Questions with answers in bold:
1. Who led a French expeditionary force of 6,000 men in July, 1780?
Comte Jean de Rochambeau
2. General Cornwallis surrendered at _____ on October 19, 1781.
Yorktown
3. Which of the following did not represent the American side at the peace negotiations in Paris?
a. Benjamin Franklin
b. John Adams
c. John Jay
d. Thomas Jefferson
4. What area of North America was returned to Spain by the Treaty of Paris (1783)?
a. California
b. Florida
c. Louisiana
d. Texas |