The event that led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 was the French and Indian War (1754-1763), part of the larger conflict known as the Seven Years' War. This war was fought between the British and French empires in North America. The British victory resulted in France ceding significant territorial claims in North America to Britain, marking the end of French colonial ambitions on the continent. The treaty established Britain as the dominant power in North America and reshaped its colonial policies.