After Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, peace negotiations commenced in Paris in April 1782 with the talented United States contingent that included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. In September, France’s Foreign Minister Vergennes put forth a proposal that would have left America an independent but weak nation, with thousands of miles of hostile borders and no possibilities for westward expansion. Adams and Jay wisely decided to bypass the French and open direct negotiations with England.

In 1788, after serving as ambassador to England, John Adams sailed for home. For the previous ten years, this devoted patriot had been away from America for all but a few months. His tireless work with the Netherlands secured desperately needed funding for our revolution and the generous terms he obtained in the Treaty of Paris gave our young nation a chance at success.