Answer:
Northwest Territory
Explanation:
In 1782, the newly elected British Prime Minister Lord Shelburne saw American independence as an opportunity to build a lucrative trade alliance with the new nation without the administrative and military costs of running and defending the colonies.
As a result, Treaty of Paris terms were very favorable to the United States with Great Britain making major concessions.
The treaty, signed by Franklin, Adams and Jay at the Hotel d’York in Paris, was finalized on September 3, 1783, and ratified by the Continental Congress on January 14, 1784.
Here are the key terms of the Treaty of Paris:
Great Britain finally gave formal recognition to its former colonies as a new and independent nation: the United States of America.
Defined the U.S. border, with Great Britain granting the Northwest Territory to the United States.
Secured fishing rights to the Grand Banks and other waters off the British-Canadian coastline for American boats.
Opened up the Mississippi River to navigation by citizens of both the United States and Great Britain.
Resolved issues with American debts owed to British creditors.
Provided for fair treatment of American citizens who had remained loyal to Great Britain during the war.
Northwest Territory
Perhaps as important as U.S. independence, the Treaty of Paris also established generous boundaries for the new nation. As part of the agreement, the British ceded a vast area known as the Northwest Territory to the United States.
The Northwest Territory – which included the present-day states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota – doubled the land area of the United States and helped set the stage for the westward expansion that was to come over the next century.
SOURCES
Treaty of Paris, 1783; U.S. Office of the Historian.
Treaty of Paris; Library of Congress.
