CHAPTER IV
THE FIRST NEGOTIATION IN PARIS
1782
In America, with the exception of New York, Charlestown and a few other posts on the coast, the whole mainland of the Thirteen revolted Colonies by the beginning of 1782 was lost to England. The forces of Spain had overrun West Florida and had captured the Isle of Providence, the Bahamas, and Minorca. The French fleet had taken Granada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Christopher, Nevis, and Monserrat. On the other hand, the English forces had captured St. Lucia, the French establishments in Senegal, the Island of Goree on the coast of Africa, Chandernagore, and the French establishments on the coast of Bengal and Orissa, Pondicherry, Karical, Mahé, and the Comptoir of Surat. From the Dutch they had taken Trincomalee and Negapatam. Such were the chief territorial changes which had resulted from the war. Besides the question how far the peace was to confirm them, there were other matters equally certain to be brought forward in any negotiation between England and the belligerents. Such were the rights of the French fishermen off Newfoundland under the Treaties of Utrecht and of Paris; the clauses of former treaties relating to Dunkirk; and the commercial relations between the two countries. It had never yet been definitely agreed, how far the rejection by the English House of Commons of the eighth and ninth clauses of the Treaty of Utrecht had invalidated the other commercial clauses
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