The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the Seven Years' War.
The signing of the treaty formally ended the Seven Years' War, known as the French and Indian War in the North American theatre, and marked the beginning of an era of British dominance outside Europe. Great Britain and France each returned much of the territory that they had captured during the war, but Great Britain gained much of France's possessions in North America. Additionally, Great Britain agreed to protect Roman Catholicism in the New World. The treaty did not involve Prussia and Austria as they signed a separate agreement, the Treaty of Hubertusburg, five days later.
During the war, Great Britain had conquered the French colonies of Canada, Guadeloupe, Saint Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago, the French factories (trading posts) in India, the slave-trading station at Gorée, the Sénégal River and its settlements, and the Spanish colonies of Manila and Havana. France had captured Minorca and British trading posts in Sumatra, while Spain had captured the border fortress of Almeida in Portugal, and Colonia del Sacramento in South America.
In the treaty, most of the
territories were restored to their original owners, but Britain was
allowed to keep considerable gains. France and Spain restored all their
conquests to Britain and Portugal. Britain restored Manila and Havana to
Spain, and Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Gorée, and the Indian
factories to France. In return, France recognized the sovereignty of
Britain over Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, and Tobago.
More information: Mental Floss
France also ceded the eastern half of French Louisiana to Britain; that is, the area from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains. France had already secretly given Louisiana to Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762), but Spain did not take possession until 1769.
Spain ceded East Florida to Britain. In addition, France regained its factories in India but recognized British clients as the rulers of key Indian native states and pledged not to send troops to Bengal. Britain agreed to demolish its fortifications in British Honduras, now Belize, but retained a logwood-cutting colony there. Britain confirmed the right of its new subjects to practise Catholicism.
France lost all of its territory in mainland North America except for the territory of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. France retained fishing rights off Newfoundland and the two small islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, where its fishermen could dry their catch. In turn, France gained the return of its sugar colony, Guadeloupe, which it considered more valuable than Canada. Voltaire had notoriously dismissed Acadia as quelques arpents de neige, a few acres of snow.
The war was fought all over the
world, but the British began the war over French possessions in North
America. After a long debate of the relative merits of Guadeloupe, which
produced £6 million a year in sugar, and Canada, which was expensive to
keep, Great Britain decided to keep Canada for strategic reasons and to
return Guadeloupe to France.
The war had weakened France, but it was
still a European power. British Prime Minister Lord Bute wanted a peace
that would not push France towards a second war.
Although the Protestant British worried about having so many Roman Catholic subjects, Great Britain wanted neither to antagonize France by expulsion or forced conversion nor French settlers to leave Canada to strengthen other French settlements in North America.
Unlike Lord Bute, the French Foreign Minister, the Duke of Choiseul, expected a return to war. However, France needed peace to rebuild. France preferred to keep its Caribbean possessions with their profitable sugar trade, rather than the vast Canadian lands, which had been a financial burden on France.
French diplomats believed that without France to keep the Americans in check, the colonists might attempt to revolt. In Canada, France wanted open emigration for those, such as nobility, who would not swear allegiance to the British Crown. Finally, France required protection for Roman Catholics in North America.
The article provided for unrestrained emigration for 18 months from Canada. However, passage on British ships was expensive. A total of 1,600 people left New France by that clause but only 270 French Canadians. Some have claimed that to be part of British policy to limit emigration.
Article IV of the treaty allowed
Roman Catholicism to be practised in Canada. George III agreed to
allow Catholicism within the laws of Great Britain. British laws then
included various Test Acts to prevent governmental, judicial and
bureaucratic appointments from going to Roman Catholics. Roman Catholics
were believed to be agents of the Jacobite pretenders to the throne,
who normally resided in France and were supported by the French regime.
This was relaxed in Quebec to some degree, but top positions such as
governorships were still held by Anglicans.
More information: Preceden
Article IV has also been cited as the basis for Quebec often having its unique set of laws that are different from the rest of Canada. There was a general constitutional principle in the United Kingdom to allow colonies taken through conquest to continue their own laws. That was limited by royal prerogative, and the monarch could still choose to change the accepted laws in a conquered colony. However, the treaty eliminated that power because by a different constitutional principle since terms of a treaty were considered paramount. In practice, Roman Catholics could become jurors in inferior courts in Quebec and argue based on principles of French law. However, the judge was British, and his opinion on French law could be limited or hostile. If the case was appealed to a superior court, neither French law nor Roman Catholic jurors were allowed.
Many French residents of what are now Canada's Maritime Provinces, called Acadians, were deported during the Great Expulsion (1755–63). After the signing of the peace treaty guaranteed some rights to Roman Catholics, some Acadians returned to Canada. However, they were no longer welcome in English Nova Scotia. They were forced into New Brunswick, which is a bilingual province today as a result of that relocation.
Much land previously owned by France was now owned by Britain, and the French people of Quebec felt greatly betrayed at the French concession.
Commander-in-Chief of the British Jeffrey Amherst noted that, Many of the Canadians consider their Colony to be of utmost consequence of France & cannot be convinced... that their Country has been conceded to Great Britain.
More information: OAS Peace Fund
recognizing our history,
recognizing our identity,
has never meant a weakening of Quebec
and has never been a threat to national unity.
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