Why did Benjamin Franklin ask France for money during the American Revolution?

At the time the world had two superpowers, France and Britain. The French were defeated by the British with the help of the colonies in the Seven-Year War and lost North American territory. The French had already supplied war equipment and funds but Franklin asked for more to defeat Britain.

Did Benjamin Franklin went to France to get their help to support the Patriots?

The assistance by France especially was crucial in putting an end to the war. Benjamin Franklin served as the ambassador to France during the war. His work in securing French help had a major impact on the outcome of the war.

Why did Britain want Benjamin Franklin?

As a representative of Pennsylvania at the Congress of Albany in 1754, Franklin sought to unite the disparate and often mutually antagonistic American colonies more firmly under British rule. It seemed a necessity in order to secure a Great British empire of North America at the expense of the French.

How did Ben Franklin get the French to help?

A few short months after the Battle of Saratoga, representatives of the United States and France, including Benjamin Franklin, officially declared an alliance by signing the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance on February 6, 1778.

Why did France get involved in the American Revolution?

Franklin’s popularity, persuasive powers, and a key American battlefield victory were crucial factors that led France to join the war in 1778. France had suffered bitter defeat in the most recent conflict, the Seven Years’ War (1756-63), which included the French and Indian War in North America.

When did the French decide to give assistance to the American colonies?

Representatives of the French and American governments signed the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce on February 6, 1778. American colonists hoped for possible French aid in their struggle against British forces.

What did Britain gain at the conclusion of the French and Indian War?

In the resulting Treaty of Paris (1763), Great Britain secured significant territorial gains in North America, including all French territory east of the Mississippi river, as well as Spanish Florida, although the treaty returned Cuba to Spain.

Did Benjamin Franklin influence the French Revolution?

He did not shock the French, nor did his interest in women, which was considered perfectly normal.” Ultimately, the political ideals that Franklin and the American Revolution represented, along with French financial support for the war that would bankrupt France, helped pave the way for the French Revolution in 1789.

Why did the French help the American Revolution?

France provided the money, troops, armament, military leadership, and naval support that tipped the balance of military power in favor of the United States and paved the way for the Continental Army’s ultimate victory, which was sealed at Yorktown, VA, five years after Franklin embarked on his mission.

How did Benjamin Franklin’s popularity in France affect the war?

Benjamin Franklin’s popularity in France bolstered French support for the American cause. The French public viewed Franklin as a representative of republican simplicity and honesty, an image Franklin cultivated. A rage for all things Franklin and American swept France, assisting American diplomats and Vergennes in pushing for an alliance.

How did Franklin convince the French to help the colonists?

The French covertly financed the American colonists from the beginning of the war. Franklin most likely didn’t convince the French to completely commit to help. The French were waiting for a sign the colonists could survive the initial war plus find a legit reason to claim they had a reason to get involved.

How did France support the American Revolution?

France continued to secretly support the Patriot cause with shipments of war supplies, but it was not until the American victory over the British at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 that France felt an American victory in the war was possible.

Why did the French decide to form an alliance with Britain?

When news of the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent British evacuation of Boston reached France, French Foreign Minister Comte de Vergennes decided in favor of an alliance.