Great Britain had urged especially the case of the Loyalists, the return to them of their property and compensation for their losses.

She could not achieve anything.

Franklin indeed asked that Americans who had been ruined by the destruction of their property should be compensated by Britain, that Canada should be added to the United States, and that Britain should acknowledge her fault in distressing the colonies.

In the end the American Commissioners agreed to ask the individual States to meet the desires of the British negotiators, but both sides understood that the States would do nothing, that the confiscated property would never be returned, that most of the exiled Loyalists would remain exiles, and that Britain herself must compensate them for their losses.

This in time she did on a scale inadequate indeed but expressive of a generous intention.