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 American and British ministers agree upon preliminary peace treaty.

December 14 British evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.

Peace In 1783 America acquired independence, but domestic troubles threatened. As the war wound down, George Washington drew on his leadership ability to keep order amongst a mostly idle, unpaid, and discontented army. On September 3 ministers signed the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the war. Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers and then resigned his commission.

January 20 Britain signs preliminary peace articles with France and Spain.

April 11 Congress proclaims cessation of hostilities.

April 19 Washington declares end to fighting eight years to the day after war began.

September 3 Final peace treaty between Britain and the United States signed in Paris British-allied tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy lose most of their lands as they are left out of the settlement. Some bands settle in southern Ontario with Joseph Brant.

November 2 Washington issues farewell orders to the “Armies of the United States.”

November 25 British finally evacuate New York.

December 4 Washington bids farewell to his officers at Fraunces’ Tavern in New York City.

December 23 Washington resigns his commission before the Continental Congress in Annapolis, Maryland.

Legacy On a personal level the Revolutionary War produced a mixed legacy of positive and negative consequences. On the patriot side, the cost of founding an independent republic was high. Approximately 25,000 sacrificed their lives, and many forfeited their livelihood. The success of the Revolution brought scorn to those loyal to the Crown, and most of them lost fortunes and homes. The war broadened the horizons and prospects of many revolutionaries. Numerous former soldiers felt wanderlust and formed the vanguard of westward expansion. In turn this relentless advance forced thousands of American Indians off their rich domain. For some African Americans, service brought freedom, yet many remained enslaved. While women gained new outlooks, their actual status remained unchanged. As the sound of combat grew fainter, the battle for individual rights began.