Existing comment:
Letter from Benjamin Franklin to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Robert Livingston
April 8, 1782
The surrender of Lord Cornwallis to George Washington and French forces on October 19, 1781, effectively ended the Revolutionary War. The subsequent collapse of Lord North's government in London made peace all but certain. In this letter to Congress, Franklin noted this "extraordinary revolution" in British politics. Peace talks began once the new government headed by Lord Rockingham was in place. |