1776-1820---The Treaty of Paris

SEPTEMBER 3, 1783:

The United States and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War and recognizing American independence. Added to the "original thirteen colonies" is land lying between the Appalachian Ridge and the Mississippi River. Despite the British cession, the Crown maintains some forts therein, and the debate over whether slavery should be permitted in lands claimed by slave States begins and does not end until the Civil War.