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A bookend to the war for American independence: Thus ended successfully a war in which the French had been instrumental in gaining American independence??The ratifications [of the Treaty of Paris] having been exchanged, all dispatch must be made for the return of the troops, supplies and vessels of the army of M. the Comte d'Estaing. It is the intention of the War Department to bring to Provence all the troops who have departed??Despite discussions of a full alliance, French assistance to the fledgling United States was limited in the early years of the American Revolution. French Foreign Minister the Comte de Vergennes finally decided in favor of an alliance when news of the British surrender at the Battle of Saratoga reached him in December 1777. Vergennes, having heard rumors of secret British peace feelers to the United States, wanted to put a stop to that and offered the U.S. an official French alliance. On February 6, 1778, Benjamin Franklin and other two Americans commissioners, Arthur Lee and Silas Deane, signed a Treaty of Alliance and a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France. The Treaty of Alliance contained the provisions the U.S. commissioners had originally requested, but also included a clause forbidding either country to make a separate peace with Britain. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce promoted trade between the United States and France and recognized the United States as an independent nation.On May 4, 1778, the alliance between France and the new United States of America became effective. The Americans had high hopes for this venture, but those hopes were initially dashed. The French sent a fleet under Admiral d?Estaing in the summer of 1778; but after failing to encounter the British in the Chesapeake Bay and making unsuccessful moves at New York and Newport, it abandoned the offensive. However, the French were determined to play a role in the outcome of the American War and planned to send a significant number of troops and ships for the next campaign. Count Rochambeau was appointed to command of the army that was destined to support the Americans, and on May 2, 1780, he sailed for the U.S.Washington eagerly anticipated the active intervention of the French, and their hoped-for imminent arrival. He planned a joint Franco-American late- summer campaign against British-held New York, and in expectation of his ally?s arrival set about making sure that all of his preparations were complete. William Dobbs was an expert pilot qualified to guide navies into port. On July 2, 1780, Washington called Dobbs to headquarters for consultations on issues of navigation with a large navy. In a letter to Rochambeau, General Lafayette described the discussions at headquarters, saying of Dobbs and a colleague, ?The two persons?who will go aboard your ship?are best known for their integrity and ability? But there was still no sight of the French and no way for them to receive such communications.On July 11 came the momentous news: the French had been sighted in American waters. At about the same time, Rochambeau landed on American soil, disembarking at Newport, Rhode Island. The 1780 offensive against New York did not materialize. But in 1781, Washington?s vision of the Franco-American juggernaut finally took shape. By September 28, the combined armies with the French fleet - some 16,000 troops - had arrived in Virginia, where the army set up camp outside the British defenses at Yorktown and the French fleet blockaded the port so the British could not leave nor receive reinforcements. Just three weeks later, the siege of Yorktown ended with the complete surrender of the British. As a result of this catastrophe to their arms, Britain would sue for peace; the war was effectively over. So Washington?s dream - that the arrival of the French would make the difference and secure American independence - became a reality.The year 1782 saw the approach of a general peace. Franklin rejected initial peace overtures from Great Britain.
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