The congressional move brings the nascent nation one step closer to the conclusion of the Revolutionary War.

Five months later, on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed by representatives of the U.S., Great Britain, Spain and France, officially bringing an end to the Revolutionary War. It also formalized Great Britain’s recognition of America’s independence.

The treaty 

• established the Mississippi River as the western boundary of the new United States

• allowed U.S. fishermen to troll the waters off Newfoundland, Canada

• recognized the legitimacy of pre-war debts owed by Americans and Britons

• promised to reunite American Loyalists with property seized from them during the war.

American Revolution