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Mar 20, 2024 · In reality, Franklin had only one reason for being in Paris—to convince the French to make a very expensive bet on America. But first, he had to let all of the political pieces fall into place.
- Dave Roos
- George Washington’s Continental Army
- The Attack at Newport, Rhode Island
- Cornwallis Installs Fortified Base at Yorktown
- America Wins The War For Independence
A number of idealistic French aristocrats, such as the Marquis de Lafayette, were far too impatient to wait for their country to enter the war. In 1777 Lafayette and many others from France came to America to volunteer as soldiers in George Washington’s Continental Army. By the end of the year, news reached Paris of the stunning American victory in...
The French ships were not able to join in an attack on British-occupied New York City because they could not get across a sandbar that blocked the entrance into the harbor. The next plan called for an assault on British troops at Newport, Rhode Island, with the French providing naval support to an American land force. Unfortunately, a combination o...
Early in 1781, the war had finally come to Virginia. First, an invading force under the command of the traitor Benedict Arnold had overrun much of the eastern part of the state, destroying valuable supplies and cargoes of tobacco. Much to Governor Thomas Jefferson’s dismay, the state’s militia units, the only men available for defense, were not abl...
Without the direct and indirect assistance of France, it is doubtful that Americans could have won the war for independence. From 1776 to 1783 France supplied the United States with millions of livres in cash and credit. France also committed 63 warships, 22,000 sailors and 12,000 soldiers to the war, and these forces suffered relatively heavy casu...
The first diplomatic exchange between the United States and a foreign power was highly personal: Franklin and Vergennes sizing each other up. Franklin knew that Vergennes, who for years had befriended America, would scuttle her the instant she ceased to serve his purpose.
He was also convinced that the only way for America to win the war was to form an alliance with France. Vergennes was simply waiting for the right moment to declare that alliance. Benjamin Franklin had arrived in France at the end of 1776, joining two other American diplomats Silas Deane and Arthur Lee.
To France supporting American independence was a way to get back to Britain without being involved in a direct war. America gained a valuable ally with a powerful military. On December 28, 1776 Franklin had his first meeting with French Foreign Minister, Charles Gravier, Compte de Vergennes.
Sep 9, 2020 · The wily Comte de Vergennes, France’s foreign minister, urged Louis XVI to support the Americans, arguing that “providence had marked out this moment for the humiliation of England.” French...
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Jun 25, 2018 · He would use his intellect, charm, wit and experience to convince France to join the war on the side of the fledgling United States of America. Franklin’s popularity and persuasive powers, and a key American battlefield victory, were crucial factors that led France to join the war in 1778.
