Commemorating the 230th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty of Paris

Floor Speech

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September 3, 2013, as the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, thus ending American Revolutionary War and declaring the ``United States to be free, sovereign and independent states.'' The Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784.

I am proud to represent Virginia's First District, frequently referred to as ``America's First District,'' which is home to Yorktown where the Revolutionary War ended on October 19, 1781. With the help of our French allies, the decisive Battle of Yorktown resulted in the surrender of the British Army commanded by British lord and Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis.

A resolution of the Continental Congress, dated October 29, 1781, called for a ``Yorktown Monument to the Alliance and Victory''. The Senate Committee on Military Affairs in its report dated March 16, 1880, stated that ``the surrender at Yorktown was the crowning success of the revolution, and its event should be commemorated by national authority.'' The grounds were secured and the cornerstone laid on October 18, 1881. Today, the Yorktown Battlefield, site of the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War, is administered by the National Park Service and is part of Colonial National Historical Park.

Virginia's First District has a rich history of military service, beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing today. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris and recognizing the significance of the Battle of Yorktown.

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