Treaty of Paris — American Independence Secured, Slavery Untouched

The Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783) recognized American independence. It contained a clause requiring Britain to withdraw 'without carrying away any Negroes' — an American demand that British forces not take enslaved people. Britain evacuated thousands of Black Loyalists anyway, citing prior promises of freedom. American slaveholders demanded compensation for 'property' lost. The dispute over whether formerly enslaved people constituted property that could be legally evacuated showed the tre