Unsigned, Intriguing, and Possibly Secret, Manuscript Note Concerning the Treaty of Paris 1782-1783

small folio, one page, formerly folded, top edge lightly browned, else very good. Text neatly inscribed in ink on laid paper. The sheet, judging from the fold marks was evidently folded into a very small triangle of just over an inch in size, possibly for easy concealment and transmittal. he present document is both intriguing and curious it discusses the Treaty of Paris and contains information which poses several intriguing questions: the document states that Peace would be signed on the 19th at six o'clock in the evening and with conditions which differed somewhat from the terms of the final treaty. The preliminary articles of peace were not signed until November 30, 1782, the final Treaty ending the War was signed on September 3, 1783. The terms mentioned in this manuscript differ from the final document. The questions posed by this document are: Does the present document discuss a preliminary draft? Is it incorrect or secretly transmitted information from the private negotiations? Is it deliberate misinformation? The document reads: "La paix a eté signé le 19 a six heures du soir, en vois les conditions - Les anglois rendent Gibraltar aux Espagnoles et rentrens sa possession de mexique quis repoussant pas fortfiee aux Antilles nous rend aux anglois la Grenade et St. Christophe, ils nous rendent Ste Lucie et tabago, St. Eustache revient aux holandais, nous aurons la moitié du Banc de Terre Neuve pour la peche de la marine nous gardons en Afrique les establissement sur la Riviere du Senegal et L'isle de Gorée dans L'inde pondichery a nous, madras aux anglois qui repoussant avoie qu'un seul comptoir sur la cote de Malabare Le commerce et deveniere libre sur toute les mers et les etats unis de L'Amerique recouvrer independent; La France pourra entretenir en tenir de paix vingt vaisseaux de Guerre rrive a l'Engleterre quinze seulement" The Definitive Treaty of Peace was signed at Paris, September 3, 1783. This treaty between Great Britain and the United States marked the final consummation of American independence. Coincidentally were signed peace treaties between Great Britain and each of two other belligerents, France, the ally of the United States, and Spain, the ally of France. A preliminary peace between Great Britain and the Netherlands (no one's ally) had been signed on September 2, 1783. The definitive treaties marked the end of a complicated negotiation in Paris between Great Britain and her several enemies, begun in March, 1782, by the Rockingham Ministry, and continued by the government of Lord Shelburne through its agent, Richard Oswald, who had conducted the American negotiation from the first, and other British diplomatic officers. It was featured by the separately negotiated preliminary and conditional articles of peace between the United States and Great Britain, signed Nov. 30, 1782, which were not to go into effect until peace should be signed between the American ally France, and the common enemy, Great Britain. France, in turn, deferred her peace until her ally, Spain, should have also reached a settlement with Great Britain. The French and Spanish preliminaries were signed on Jan. 2, 1783, on which date the American preliminaries went into effect, and a general armistice took place pending signature of a final and definitive treaty of peace. The three sets (Anglo-American, Anglo- French and Anglo-Spanish) of preliminary articles of peace were thus in the nature of armistice agreements which accompanied a cessation of hostilities but did not end the legal state of war. The definitive treaties, which ended the war, were deferred for several months in the hope of securing more concessions from the British, and to give the Dutch time to make a satisfactory peace with Great Britain. The Anglo-Dutch preliminary articles of peace were signed on Sept. 2, 1783, and the next day the definitive treaties American, Fr.