How Did the Revolutionary War End?
Quick Answer
The American Revolution officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783. The hostile phase of the war had ended nearly two years earlier, on Oct. 19, 1781, when the British general Charles Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
Pinned down on the Yorktown Peninsula by George Washington's troops on the land and a French fleet on the ocean, Lord Charles Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender his entire army, effectively ending the hostile phase of the war. However, the possibility of further battles remained. British troops still held the important port cities of New York City, Savannah and Charleston, and the British Navy remained a formidable force. On the American side, finances were running low, and some unpaid soldiers were even threatening mutiny.
British public opinion, however, turned strongly against the war after Cornwallis's defeat. Though King George III wished to continue the fight, his parliament disagreed, and negotiators from America, Britain, France, Spain and the Netherlands met in Paris in the spring of 1782 to begin hammering out a peace treaty. The three American negotiators, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay, made sure that the final treaty included a British recognition of American sovereignty and enough territory for the United States to expand in the West. The negotiators drafted a preliminary treaty in late 1782 and then signed the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783.
Learn more about US HistoryRelated Questions
-
Q:
What Did Ben Franklin Do in the Revolutionary War?
A: Benjamin Franklin’s most prominent contributions during the American Revolution were helping to draft the Declaration of Independence and successfully nego... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How Was the Battle of Yorktown Important to the Revolutionary War?
A: The Battle of Yorktown was important to the American Revolution because it ended in the surrender of the General Cornwallis and his army, effectively endin... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How Revolutionary Was the American Revolution?
A: While different than social revolutions, like the French and Russian Revolutions, the American Revolution put in motion a series of governmental, legislati... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What Was a Result of the 1763 Treaty of Paris?
A: The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763, brought an end to the Seven Years' War fought between France and Great Britain. France gave up all of its territorial ... Full Answer >Filed Under:
