January 20, 1783 – England signs a preliminary peace treaty with France and Spain.
February 3, 1783 – Spain recognizes the United States of America, followed later by Sweden, Denmark and Russia.
February 4, 1783 – England officially declares an end to hostilities in America.
March 10, 1783 – An anonymous letter circulates among Washington’s senior officers camped at Newburgh, New York. The letter calls for an unauthorized meeting and urges the officers to defy the authority of the new U.S. national government (Congress) for its failure to honor past promises to the Continental Army. The next day, Gen. Washington forbids the unauthorized meeting and instead suggests a regular meeting to be held on March 15. A second anonymous letter then appears and is circulated. This letter falsely claims Washington himself sympathizes with the rebellious officers.
March 15, 1783 – General Washington gathers his officers and talks them out of a rebellion against the authority of Congress, and in effect preserves the American democracy.
April 11, 1783 – Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War.
April 26, 1783 – 7000 Loyalists set sail from New York for Canada, bringing a total of 100,000 Loyalists who have now fled America.
June 13, 1783 – The main part of the Continental Army disbands.
June 24, 1783 – To avoid protests from angry and unpaid war veterans, Congress leaves Philadelphia and relocates to Princeton, New Jersey.
July 8, 1783 – The Supreme Court of Massachusetts abolishes slavery in that state.
September 3, 1783 – The Treaty of Paris is signed by the United States and Great Britain. Congress will ratify the treaty on January 14, 1784.
October 7, 1783 – In Virginia, the House of Burgesses grants freedom to slaves who served in the Continental Army.
November 2, 1783 – George Washington delivers his farewell address to his army. The next day, remaining troops are discharged.
November 25, 1783 – Washington enters Manhattan as the last British troops leave.
November 26, 1783 – Congress meets in Annapolis, Maryland.
December 23, 1783 – Following a triumphant journey from New York to Annapolis, George Washington, victorious commander in chief of the American Revolutionary Army, appears before Congress and voluntarily resigns his commission, an event unprecedented in history.
