The Paris Peace Treaty of 1763 is a peace treaty between Great Britain and Portugal, on the one hand, and France and Spain, on the other, signed on February 10 in Paris and together with the Hubertusburg Peace put an end to the Seven Years War . Preconditions for peace were signed at Fontainebleau on November 3, 1762, while a final treaty was drawn up in Paris.
Agreement Terms
According to the terms of the world, France refused all claims to Canada , Nova Scotia and all the islands of the Gulf of St. Lawrence . Together with Canada, France ceded the Ohio Valley and its entire territory on the east coast of the Mississippi , with the exception of New Orleans .
At the same time, Spain, for the return of Havana by England, ceded it to Florida , which at that time called all its continental possessions east of the Mississippi. Despite the large area of land, England sought rights to Puerto Rico, since the country received on the continent at that time was poorly populated and developed.
In Europe, Menorca was returned to England, but since the return of this island to Spain was one of the conditions of its alliance with France, the latter, being unable to fulfill this condition now, accordingly ceded Spain to Louisiana , west of the Mississippi.
French troops were also withdrawn from the territory of Hanover and, together with the Spanish, from the territory of Portugal.
In the West Indies, England gave back to France important islands: Martinique and Guadeloupe . Four islands from the Lesser Antilles group, considered neutral, were divided between two powers: Saint Lucia passed to France, and Saint Vincent , Tobago and Dominica to England, which also held Grenada .
In Africa, France was losing land in Senegal .
In India, France regained all possessions within its borders prior to the offensive, but lost the right to build fortifications or keep troops in Bengal, and thus left the station in Chandannagar defenseless. Thus, France again gained the opportunity to trade in India, but practically abandoned its claims to political influence in the region. At the same time, the English company retained all its gains.
The Paris Peace Treaty also gave France fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland and in St. Lawrence Bay, which she had used before. At the same time, this right was denied to Spain, demanding it for its fishermen. This concession to France was among those most opposed in England by the opposition.
Most of the population and Pitt strongly opposed the conditions of the treatise. The latter said:
“France is mainly menacing to us as a maritime and commercial power. The fact that we win in this regard is most valuable to us because it is harmful to her. And you leave France the opportunity to revive its fleet. "
Thus, as a result of peace, England acquired a colonial state, enclosing Canada from the Hudson's Bay and all of the current United States east of the Mississippi. In addition to the territorial acquisitions of England and its established naval dominance, it also gained prestige and position in the eyes of other powers. The concessions of England at the conclusion of peace were caused by a huge external debt, which reached up to 122 million pounds.