US History

U.S. History Study Guide

what was one of the bloodiest and most bitter battles of the war, but they suffered tremendous casualties, while Greene’s losses were low. Cornwallis was forced to withdraw out of the Carolinas and back to Virginia, taking his troops to Yorktown. 6.11 Yorktown Washington had been trying to coordinate his own troops with the French troops and ships, but this became a complicated task. On top of that, Congress had failed to supply himwith reinforcements and supplies. Washington found out that he would have the French navy, but it was only for a small window of time, the French had to be weary of hurricanes, Washington needed to act swiftly. Together with two French fleets, French and American armies converged on Yorktown and pinned in the British army under Cornwallis. The British were unable to come to Cornwallis’s rescue and the impossible seemed inevitable. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered his entire army of 8,000 men. This last major victory for the Americans would be the deciding factor to end the war, although it wasn’t over for more than a year. The British army still held New York, thus there were some small battles until the formal peace treaty was signed. The War Ends 6.12 The Treaty of Parris 1783 On September 3, 1783 the Treaty of Parris was signed, ironically twenty years from when the Treaty of Parris 1763 was signed ending the French and Indian War. The Treaty of Parris 1783 was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay in Parris. With the adept negotiating skills of Franklin, Adams, and Jay they were able to create favorable terms for the newUnited States by playing the hatred of the English and French against one another resulting for better terms for the United States. Under the terms of the treaty; • The British recognized the United States of America as an independent nation. • The British agreed to remove all of its troops from the new nation. • The United States borders were set along Canada, the Mississippi, and bordering Spanish Florida. • The United States agreed to allow British troops still in America to leave. • The United States agreed to pay all existing debts owed to Great Britain. • The United States agreed not to persecute Loyalists still in America and allow those that left America to return.

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