The Day the Revolution Ended

On this day in 1782 the United States and Britain signed a provisional treaty that brought hostilities to an end in the American Revolution. The treaty was not ratified by Congress until 15 April 1783, and several months more would pass before a formal final treaty would be signed, but this provisional agreement can accurately be said to mark the effective end of the revolution. In fact the Treaty of Paris, signed 3 September 1783, specifically recognized this fact when it stipulated that the territorial division of North America between Britain and the United States should be considered final as of this date.