The Treaty of Alliance with France
Spring 2003, Vol. 35, No. 1 | Pieces of History
After making their rebellion against Great Britain official by declaring independence in July 1776, the Founding Fathers knew they would need help to defeat the British troops still arriving along the American coast.
They looked to France, no friend of the British, for assistance, and sent a delegation to Paris to secure French recognition of American independence and propose a treaty with France.
Leading the delegation was Benjamin Franklin, probably the most famous American of his time and already well known in Europe for his discoveries, inventions, and writings.
But as Franklin left for Paris in late 1776, an alliance was not a sure thing. Although France had been secretly helping the Americans in their revolution, King Louis XVI was hesitant about a formal alliance. He feared that recognizing a rebellion against the British monarchy might give ideas to those who wanted to topple him. And he wanted to be sure the Americans were serious about independence—that they really had a chance of driving out the British.
Across the Atlantic, the American troops suffered a number of defeats during 1777, but in December, word reached Paris of the surrender of the British to the Americans in the Battle of Saratoga—which finally convinced Louis XVI to approve a treaty with the Americans.
The French required few changes to a draft treaty the Continental Congress had sent with Franklin, and it was signed February 6, 1778, along with a companion treaty.
Under the Treaty of Alliance, France would continue to aid the Americans in their fight for independence, and the United States would help France in the event of a war with Great Britain (which came soon). It also stipulated that neither the United States nor France would make peace with England until American independence was recognized by the British.
The companion treaty, a Treaty of Amity and Commerce, recognized the United States as an independent nation and encouraged trade between the United States and France.
With France officially on their side, the tide of war turned in the Americans’ favor, culminating in their victory at Yorktown in 1781.
Treaty of Alliance with France, February 6, 1778 (signature page)