Treaty of Paris February 10th 1763

On February 10, 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War. The Treaty was signed by the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. Together with the Treaty of Hubertusburg, it ended the French and Indian War and the Seven Years' War. The treaties marked the beginning of an extensive period of British dominance outside of Europe. In general, all conquered territories were restored to their pre-war owners. Preferring to keep Guadaloupe, France gave up Canada and all claims to territory east of the Mississippi to Britain. Spain ceded Florida to the British but later received New Orleans and Louisiana from France, and Cuba was restored to Spain. France retained Saint Pierre and Miquelon and recovered Guadeloupe and Martinique in exchange for Grenada and the Grenadines going to the British. In India the French lost out to the British, receiving back its factories but agreeing to support the British puppet governments as well as returning Sumatra and agreeing not to base troops in Bengal.

Britain returned the slave station on the isle of Goree to the French but gained the Senegal River and its settlements. Britain agreed to demolish its fortifications in Honduras but received permission from Spain to keep a logwood-cutting colony there. Britain confirmed in the treaty the rights of its new citizens to practice the Roman Catholic religion and received confirmation of the continuation of the British king's right as an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

It is sometimes claimed that the British King George III renounced his claim to be King of France by the treaty. However, this a historical myth, and it is also falsely attributed to some of the treaties of the French Revolutionary Wars. Such a renunciation is nowhere in the text of the treaty, and in fact George III continued to be styled "King of France" and used the fleurs-de-lis as part of his arms until 1801 when Britain and Ireland united. It was dropped then because it was simply regarded as anachronistic, not because of French pressure.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
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