The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War following British
victory over France and Spain.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Analyze the Treaty of Paris
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France
and Spain, with Portugal in agreement.
In North America, France ceded most of its mainland possessions to Britain.
Spain also ceded its Florida territory to the British.
Transfer of North American territory to Great Britain following the war ushered in an era of
British colonial dominance in North America.
TERM [ edit ]
Louisiana Question
The Treaty of Paris is frequently noted as the point at which France gave Louisiana to Spain.
However the transfer actually occurred in the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762) but was not publicly
announced until 1764.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain,
France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, to end the French and Indian War, or Seven
Year's War. The Treaty was made possible by the British victory over France and Spain, and
marked the beginning of an era of British dominance outside Europe.
Louisiana Question
The Treaty of Paris is frequently noted as the point at which France gave Louisiana to Spain.
However, the transfer had occurred the prior year in the Treaty of Fontainebleau and was not
publicly announced until 1764 . The Treaty of Paris was to give Britain the east side of the
Mississippi. This included Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which was to be part of the British
territory of West Florida. New Orleans, on the east side, remained temporarily in French
control. The Mississippi River corridor, in what is modern­day Louisiana, was to be reunited
following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Adams­Onís Treaty in 1819
British Territorial Expansion
This map shows Britain's greatest territorial expansion, which occurred in 1763 with the Treaty of
Paris. The Treaty marked the beginning of an era of British dominance outside Europe.
The 1763 treaty states in Article VII:
VII. French territories on the continent of America; it is agreed, that, for the future, the
confines between the dominions of his Britannick Majesty and those of his Most Christian
Majesty, in that part of the world, shall be fixed irrevocably by a line drawn along the middle
of the River Mississippi, from its source to the river Iberville, and from thence, by a line
drawn along the middle of this river, and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the sea;
and for this purpose, the Most Christian King cedes in full right, and guaranties to his
Britannick Majesty the river and port of the Mobile, and everything which he possesses, or
ought to possess, on the left side of the river Mississippi, except the town of New Orleans and
the island in which it is situated, which shall remain to France, provided that the navigation
of the river Mississippi shall be equally free, as well to the subjects of Great Britain as to
those of France, in its whole breadth and length, from its source to the sea, and expressly
that part which is between the said island of New Orleans and the right bank of that river, as
well as the passage both in and out of its mouth: It is farther stipulated, that the vessels
belonging to the subjects of either nation shall not be stopped, visited, or subjected to the
payment of any duty whatsoever. The stipulations inserted in the IVth article, in favour of the
inhabitants of Canada shall also take place with regard to the inhabitants of the countries
ceded by this article.
Allies in the Seven Years War
This map depicts the competing sides of the Seven Years War. Blue represents Great Britain,
Portugal, Prussia, and their allies. Green represents France, Spain, Russia, Austria, Sweden, and
their allies.