Richard Oswald (merchant) facts for kids

Treaty of Paris, by Benjamin West (1783). This painting shows the American leaders who helped create the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Richard Oswald (born 1705, died 1784) was a Scottish businessman. He advised the British government on trade rules. He also gave advice during the American War of Independence. He is best known for his role in history. In 1782, he was the British representative who helped negotiate the Peace of Paris. This important treaty officially ended the American War of Independence.

Early Life and Business Beginnings

Richard Oswald was born in Scotland. His father was Reverend George Oswald. At age 20, Richard started working for his cousins. They were merchants in Glasgow. He traveled to America and the Caribbean as their agent. In 1741, he became a partner in their business.

A Successful Merchant

Oswald did very well in business. He moved to London in 1746. There, he focused on shipping and trading tobacco. He also got contracts to supply food for the British Army. He made a lot of money during the Seven Years' War. He was especially praised for supplying bread to soldiers in Germany.

In 1759, Oswald bought large estates in Scotland. These were the Cavens estate and the Auchincruive estate. Over the years, he added even more land to them. He also owned large areas of land in America. These included parts of East Florida, Georgia, and Virginia. He also owned plantations in the Caribbean.

Helping Other Businessmen

Oswald helped many English businessmen find good places to grow crops. For example, he guided Francis Levett to East Florida. Levett was a planter who wanted to grow rice and indigo. Oswald also asked Governor James Grant to give Levett plenty of land.

Oswald was good at bringing together important investors. This helped him gain a higher social standing. For example, he helped settle plantations in Nova Scotia. He brought together former governors, mapmakers, and members of Parliament. This ability to connect powerful people was key to his success.

Involvement in the Slave Trade

In 1748, Richard Oswald joined a group of businessmen. They bought Bunce Island in Sierra Leone. This island had a fort built by the Royal African Company. Oswald and his partners used Bance Island as a trading station. They were involved in the business of buying and selling African people. This was a common but dark part of trade at that time. Oswald's wide network of business connections helped him build this part of his trading empire.

Building Business Connections

Oswald trained many young merchants. One of them was John Levett, the brother of Francis Levett. John worked for Oswald when he was young. Later, John moved to India. He became a successful merchant and even the Mayor of Calcutta.

Oswald and his business partners helped each other. For example, Oswald asked John Levett in Calcutta for Chinese workers. John used Chinese workers on his own farms in Bengal. These farms grew plants for making arrack. The connections between Oswald's business partners grew strong. They helped each other with many different projects.

Negotiating for Peace

In 1782, Richard Oswald was chosen for a very important job. Lord Shelburne asked him to start peace talks in Paris. These talks were with the Americans. Oswald had lived in America before. He knew a lot about its geography and trade. Because of this, the British government often asked for his advice during the war.

Lord Shelburne chose Oswald because he thought Benjamin Franklin would like him. Oswald and Franklin both believed in free trade. Franklin was impressed with Oswald's negotiating skills. He described Oswald as a man with "great Simplicity and Honesty."

The Treaty of Paris

The signature page of the Treaty of Paris.

Official peace talks began on July 25, 1782. Richard Oswald signed the first agreements for Great Britain. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens signed for the United States. This happened on November 30, 1782.

These agreements became the treaty on September 3, 1783. There were almost no changes. Some people in Britain criticized Oswald. They felt he gave the Americans too much. The Duke of Richmond even wanted Oswald to be removed. He said Oswald was only arguing for America, not Britain. Oswald resigned from his government job. He returned to his estate in Scotland. He passed away on November 6, 1784.

Richard Oswald was related to the American soldier and journalist Eleazer Oswald. After Richard Oswald died, his nephews, John and Alexander Anderson, managed his estate. They also had business interests on Bance Island.

Works and Legacy

Richard Oswald's important papers about the peace talks are now at the University of Michigan library. A writer named Robert Scott Davis believes Richard Oswald was the secret author of a two-volume book. This book was called American Husbandry and was published in 1775.

Family Life

Mary Oswald, painted by Johann Zoffany.

In 1750, Oswald married Mary Ramsay. She brought property in Jamaica and British North America as part of her marriage dowry. Mary passed away in London in 1788. Richard Oswald did not have children with his wife. His Auchincruive estate went to his nephew, George Oswald, after his death.