At the same time Congress was drawing on Franklin in
Paris for money to meet its requirements and Franklin was
expected to persuade the French treasury to furnish him with what
he needed and to an amazing degree succeeded in doing so. The
self interest which Washington believed to be the dominant motive
in politics was, it is clear, actively at work. In the end the
American Commissioners negotiated directly with Great Britain,
without asking for the consent of their French allies. On
November 30, 1782, articles of peace between Great Britain and
the United States were signed. They were, however, not to go into
effect until Great Britain and France had agreed upon terms of
peace; and it was not until September 3, 1783, that the definite
treaty was signed. So far as the United States was concerned
Spain was left quite properly to shift for herself.
Thus it was that the war ended. Great Britain had urged
especially the case of the Loyalists, the return to them of their
property and compensation for their losses. She could not achieve
anything. Franklin indeed asked that Americans who had been
ruined by the destruction of their property should be compensated
by Britain, that Canada should be added to the United States, and
that Britain should acknowledge her fault in distressing the
colonies.
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