The White House On January 14, 1784, the Second Continental Congress ratified the decisive Treaty of Paris—the binding accord that ended the Revolutionary War, secured American independence, and triumphantly declared all 13 colonies “to be free sovereign and Independent States.” Today, we celebrate this monumental milestone, and we pay tribute to the grit, greatness, and unyielding resolve of the patriots of 1776 who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor for freedom’s cause.
The cessation of hostilities with the British Empire, proclaimed on April 11, 1783, ended 8 years of brutal warfare and the most significant struggle for freedom the world had ever seen. After the fighting ended, the difficult and lengthy peace talks required strategic negotiation, moral clarity, and skillful diplomacy. To achieve lasting peace, the Second Continental Congress sent a trio of true American titans—Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams—who defended American interests and fortified our fledgling Republic. The treaty, signed on September 3, 1783, nearly 2 years after the epic British surrender at Yorktown, resulted in a glorious affirmation of American sovereignty.
Under the Articles of Confederation, then the governing framework of the United States, ratification of the treaty required a quorum of nine States. On this day 242 years ago, the delegates convened in a State House in Annapolis, Maryland, and with the final vote from South Carolina, the treaty was unanimously ratified, and our birthright of freedom was finally secured.
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