January 14: Continental Congress Ratifies the Treaty of Paris (1784)
Prayer Idea
Pray for peace and for people who are suffering in ongoing conflicts around the world. In addition to Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East, violence is affecting people in Ethiopia, the Maghreb region of North Africa, Myanmar (Burma), South Sudan, and Sudan.
History Note
The American Revolutionary War began in Massachusetts in April of 1775. The surrender of British General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in October of 1781, ended most of the fighting.
American and British diplomats met in Paris, France, to work on a peace treaty. They signed the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, which formally recognized the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
Handwritten copies of the treaty were sent to the United States for review by the Continental Congress, then meeting in Annapolis, Maryland. On January 14, 1784, members of Congress voted unanimously to ratify the treaty.
American artist Benjamin West depicted the American representatives in Paris. From left to right are John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. The British representatives refused to pose, and West never completed the painting.
Learn More
Learn more about the Treaty of Paris and the American Revolutionary War at Homeschool History.
