Treaty of Paris

After the Battle of Yorktown the British were ready to come to a deal with the Americans. This was understandable, since they suffered reverses in other parts of the world and the Tory government, in power at that time, showed favor to the Americans. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay were sent to Paris, with the hopes of negotiating a peace treaty. The three envoys were under instructions not to make a separate peace with the British. The negotiators, fearing French interests were not the same as those of the Americans, decided to open direct talks with the British. As a result, the British agreed to recognize United States independence and its borders from the Great Lakes to Florida, and as far west as the Mississippi. The Americans, in turn, agreed to respect the property of loyalists and to allow British merchants to collect debts owed them.