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[1782-1783 |
him prisoner with all his army. That decisive victory
practically ended the Revolution, and forced England to give up
the contest.
191. George III's speech on the United
States; England makes a Treaty of Peace with us, 1783; the King's
Meeting with John Adams. At the opening of Parliament (1782),
the King, in a voice choked with emotion, announced that he was
ready to acknowledge the independence of the United States. He
closed his speech by saying that it was his earnest prayer that
"religion, language, interest, and affection might prove a bond of
permanent union between the two countries."
A final treaty of peace between Great Britain
and this country was signed at Paris in 1783. It secured to us the
thirteen states, with Maine, and the territory west of them to the
Mississippi. (Map, p. 170.) Our first minister to England was John
Adams of Massachusetts. The King said to him: "Sir, I will be very
free with you. I was the last to consent to the separation, but
the separation having been made . . . I have always said, as I say
now, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the
United States as an independent power."
192. The American States Independent but not
really United; Congress destitute of Power; the Articles of
Confederation. But though America had won her independence,
she had not secured harmony and union. While the war lasted the
states fought like brothers, side by side; now that the danger was
over they threatened to fall apart. We were like a barrel made of
thirteen stout staves, but without a single strong hoop to hold us
together. When Congress made the Declaration of Independence
(§ 167), it also framed the first national constitution
called the Articles of Confederation (§ 162). But the states
did not adopt that constitution until five years later, 1781.
Under the Articles of Confederation the
government accomplished two great pieces of work:
1. It made peace with Great Britain, 1783
(§ 191).
2. It adopted the famous Ordinance for the
government of the Northwest Territory, 1787 (§ 195).
