The 1783 Treaty of Paris was the peace agreement between the United States and Great Britain that formally ended the American Revolutionary War. It recognized the 13 former colonies as “free sovereign and independent States,” fixed U.S. boundaries from the Atlantic Ocean west to the Mississippi River and from British Canada to Spanish Florida, and granted Americans valuable fishing rights off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It also required Britain to withdraw its troops from U.S. territory, allowed both sides to collect pre‑war debts, and called on the United States to restore property and rights to many Loyalists who had supported Britain during the war.
The treaty is dated September 3, 1783 because that is when American and British diplomats in Paris signed the final peace agreement. Under the Articles of Confederation, however, treaties only became binding after the national Congress ratified them, so the Confederation Congress met in the Maryland State House at Annapolis and formally ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784. That later date is commemorated as Ratification Day and marks the official end of the Revolutionary War in U.S. law.
The Second Continental Congress was the assembly of delegates from the thirteen American colonies that acted as the central government during the Revolutionary War, directing the war effort and adopting key measures such as the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. As that same body continued under the Articles it is often called the Confederation Congress; when it ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784, it was meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, and approved the treaty in the Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House.
The Articles of Confederation were the United States’ first constitution (in force from 1781 to 1789), creating a loose “league of friendship” in which each state kept most of its sovereignty and the central Congress had only limited powers. Article IX of the Articles said that Congress could not make war or enter into “treaties or alliances” unless at least nine of the thirteen states agreed, so a super‑majority of state delegations had to be present and consent; that is why a quorum of nine states was required before Congress could ratify the Treaty of Paris.
Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams were leading American statesmen who served as the U.S. peace commissioners in Paris. Franklin, a famous scientist, printer, and diplomat, was already serving as America’s minister to France and used his influence there to support the negotiations. Jay, a lawyer and experienced diplomat (and later the first Chief Justice of the United States), insisted that Britain explicitly recognize full U.S. independence and negotiated key boundary and diplomatic terms. Adams, a Massachusetts lawyer and future second president, joined them in 1782 and forcefully advocated for American commercial interests and New England fishing rights; all three signed the final Treaty of Paris for the United States.
At Yorktown, Virginia, in September–October 1781, American troops under General George Washington and French forces under the Comte de Rochambeau besieged a large British army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis. Surrounded by allied land forces and a French fleet at sea, Cornwallis was bombarded into submission and surrendered about 8,000 British soldiers on October 19, 1781. It is described as an “epic British surrender” because this decisive defeat effectively ended major fighting in North America and forced the British government to open peace negotiations that led to the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
America 250 is the nationwide effort to commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence on July 4, 2026, led by the congressionally created U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission (America250) along with partner organizations and the White House. Core programs include initiatives such as “Our American Story” (collecting everyday Americans’ stories into a large audiovisual archive), “America’s Field Trip” (a multi‑year student contest linked to visits at historic sites), and “America Gives” (a drive to make 2026 the largest year of volunteer service), plus federal and White House projects like the Salute to America 250 Task Force, its “Story of America” history video series, and year‑long festivities from 2025 through July 4, 2026.
“Peace through strength” is a foreign‑policy slogan meaning that a country seeks to preserve peace and deter conflict by maintaining strong military and security capabilities. In this presidential message, it is invoked alongside commitments to the rule of law, loyalty to citizens, and faith in God to signal a belief that a robust U.S. defense posture—rather than disarmament or weakness—is the best way to protect the independence and freedoms secured by the Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris.