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1112 the american revolution through british eyes chapter twelve 1783 Negotiations to End the War During the course of 1782 and 1783, there were specific issues that plagued peace negotiations between the United States and Britain. Foremost of these was British recognition of American independence, which the colonists secured initially in the preliminary treaty of 30 November 1782. Another point raised by Benjamin Franklin early in the negotiations was the possible cession of Canada to the United States. British merchants steadfastly persisted in their demand that the Americans repay the debts that they had incurred before the Revolution, but the Americans balked at this as well as another British requirement that the United States compensate the more than 100,000 Loyalists who had lost their property and been driven into exile. For their part, the Americans insisted upon access to the fisheries off the banks of Newfoundland. They also wished to extend the American frontiers to include territory westward as far as the Mississippi and northward to the frontier with Canada, but they were prepared to see Spain acquire East and West Florida. Not until 3 September 1783 was the Treaty of Paris signed by both parties. On that same day, the French, Spanish and Dutch concluded their war with the British . In the final Treaty, the Americans grudgingly acknowledged that debts would be paid to the British. Furthermore, they urged the States that had confiscated Loyalist property to reimburse those who had not fought against the Patriots. The Americans largely achieved their territorial ambitions, although the British were slow to withdraw their troops from their forts on its northern frontier. The Americans were also granted the “liberty” to fish off of the Newfoundland coast, but this fell short of the “right” that they coveted. The peace negotiations had the unexpected consequence of overthrowing the British Government, since enough Members of Parliament thought Shelburne conceded too much to the Americans. Suffering a vote of no confidence, Shelburne resigned on 24 February 1783, and Westminster functioned without a formal Cabinet for five weeks. Finally and reluctantly, the King appointed two strange bedfellows, Charles James Fox and Lord North, to form a coalition government. 1112 1783: negotiations to end the war 1113 In America, the Continental Army seethed in a state of unrest verging on mutiny . The back pay and pensions that had been promised to officers and noncommissioned soldiers by the Continental Congress never materialized because it had no funds beyond those appropriated by the various colonies, and they were unwilling to tax themselves in order to meet their obligations to the troops. In March, a group of officers threatened action against the Congress if their demands were not met. General Washington met with them at his headquarters in Newburgh, New York, and appealed successfully to their sense of Patriotism and personal loyalty to him. However, when some Pennsylvania troops marched on Philadelphia and forced the Congress to flee to Princeton, it did so without mollifying these soldiers. Only in the autumn did they authorize that soldiers be given their back pay and officers provided with a pension for five years. On 19 April 1783, Washington declared wartime hostilities at an end, pending the ratification of the peace treaty. This allowed the Army to begin disbanding, a process that lasted another six months. Many of the letters in this chapter portray Guy Carleton’s exertions organizing an orderly withdrawal of British military forces from America, a formidable job because British merchant shipping was scattered across the globe. Finally, on 26 November, the last of the imperial troops evacuated New York City. The other recurring issue in this chapter is the plight of the Loyalists. The British Government and its officials in North America made strenuous efforts to provide them with a safe haven in Canada and elsewhere, but they were faced with having to forfeit almost everything in the way of property and personal possessions as well as their reputation and standing in their former communities. On 4 December George Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and on 14 January 1784 the Continental Congress formally ratified the Treaty of Paris. The Americans gained more than they had imagined from their Revolution, and they also barely comprehended the difficulties that lay ahead. Guy Carleton to Thomas Townshend, 18 January 1783, New York City.1 I transmit herewith various papers of intelligence lately received concerning the temper and views of great numbers of men in the Eastern provinces. The...

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