Today in History, September 3rd
On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the American Revolution. Plus Britain and France declare war on Germany in 1939.
Published · Last updated
September 3 is best known for 1783, when American and British diplomats signed the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolution and recognizing U.S. independence. The date also marks Britain and France declaring war on Germany in 1939 and the Viking 2 lander touching down on Mars in 1976.
The big story: The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution (1783)
The last major battle of the Revolution was fought at Yorktown in October 1781, but peace took nearly two more years of bargaining. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay opened talks with the British in 1782, and on November 30 of that year both sides signed preliminary articles in Paris. The final treaty had to wait until Britain wrapped up its own settlement with France. On September 3, 1783, David Hartley signed for Great Britain, and Adams, Franklin and Jay signed for the United States. In the first article, Britain recognized the 13 former colonies as free, sovereign and independent states. The treaty also set the new nation’s borders, reaching west to the Mississippi River, and kept Americans’ rights to fish off Newfoundland. Creditors on both sides could pursue prewar debts, and Congress agreed to urge the states to return confiscated property. The Continental Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784.
More events on September 3
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1658 | Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland since 1653, died in London (Old Style). |
| 1777 | At a skirmish at Cooch’s Bridge, Delaware, the Stars and Stripes is traditionally said to have flown in battle for the first time. |
| 1914 | A month into World War I, cardinals elected Giacomo della Chiesa as Pope Benedict XV. He pressed for peace throughout the war. |
| 1919 | President Woodrow Wilson set out on a national speaking tour to win support for the League of Nations. He collapsed weeks later and suffered a stroke. |
| 1929 | The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a peak of 381.17. It would not reach that level again until 1954. |
| 1939 | Britain and France declared war on Germany two days after it invaded Poland. Both countries were allied with Poland. |
| 1943 | British troops under Bernard Montgomery crossed from Sicily and landed on the Italian mainland. The same day, Italy secretly agreed to surrender. |
| 1976 | NASA’s Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars at Utopia Planitia, joining Viking 1, which had landed in July. |
Born on September 3
- 1856: Louis Sullivan, architect and early skyscraper pioneer, born in Boston.
- 1875: Ferdinand Porsche, automotive engineer behind the original Volkswagen design, born in Maffersdorf, Bohemia.
- 1913: Alan Ladd, film actor best remembered for Shane, born in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Sources
- Treaty of Paris (1783), National Archives
- Treaty of Paris signed, History.com
- Oliver Cromwell, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- This Day in History: September 3, History.com
- Stock Market Crash of 1929, Federal Reserve History
- Britain and France declare war on Germany, History.com
- Viking Project, NASA
- Louis Sullivan, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Ferdinand Porsche, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Alan Ladd, Encyclopaedia Britannica
