Treaty of Paris (1763)

What it is

This is the treaty signed on 10 February 1763 by Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, ending the Seven Years' War. It was concluded in Paris during the reign of George III, who had succeeded his grandfather George II during the conflict.

Why it matters

The treaty handed Britain huge new territories, including Canada and land east of the Mississippi, making Britain the dominant power outside Europe. But governing this vastly expanded empire created new problems and costs that fed directly into the later disputes with the American colonies, disputes that unfolded under George III's rule.

Look closer

• Why would a treaty about war in Europe and America also affect French Catholics and Indigenous lands?
• What does the formal religious language at the start of the treaty tell you about how rulers saw their authority?
• What problems might come from gaining so much new territory so quickly?