Treaty of Alliance (1778)

Quick Facts: Who was Treaty of Alliance (1778)?

Subject:

Treaty of Alliance (1778)

Known for:

Defensive alliance between France and the US during the American Revolutionary War.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Treaty of Alliance (French: traité d'alliance (1778)), also known as the Franco-American Treaty, was a defensive alliance between the Kingdom of France and the United States formed amid the American Revolutionary War with Great Britain. It was signed by delegates of King Louis XVI and the Second Continental Congress in Paris on February 6, 1778, along with the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and a secret clause providing for the entry of other European allies; together these instruments are sometimes known as the Franco-American Alliance or the Treaties of Alliance.

Career & Major Achievements

The agreements marked the official entry of the United States on the world stage, and formalized French recognition and support of U.S. independence that was to be decisive in U.S. victory.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Treaty of Alliance was signed immediately after the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, in which France was the first nation to formally recognize the U.S. as a sovereign nation; this treaty had also established mutual commercial and navigation rights between the two nations, in direct defiance of the British Navigation Acts, which restricted American access to foreign markets.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1778: 1778 Milestone — The Treaty of Alliance (French: traité d'alliance (1778)), also known as the Franco-American Treaty, was a defensive alliance between the Kingdom of France and the United States formed amid the American Revolutionary War with Great Britain.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Treaty of Alliance (1778)

True or False: “True or false: The Treaty of Alliance was the first international agreement to formally recognize the United States as a sovereign nation.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): False. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce, signed shortly before, was the first agreement to formally recognize the U.S. as a sovereign nation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Augustin Pyramus de Candolle — Historical peer (Born in 1778) (1778): Swiss botanist renowned for natural classification and phytogeography.
• Beau Brummell — Historical peer (Born in 1778) (1778): The quintessential English dandy who defined male fashion during the Regency era.
• Treaty of Almizra — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: 1244 treaty defining borders between Aragon and Castile regarding Al-Andalus.
• Treaty of Alton — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: 1101 agreement recognizing Henry Beauclerc as King of England from Robert Curthose.
• Treaty of Altranstädt (1706) — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Treaty of Altranstädt (1706): Ended Swedish occupation of Poland by forcing Augustus the Strong to renounce claims.
• Treaty of Altranstädt (1707) — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Treaty of Altranstädt (1707): Settled Protestant rights in Silesia between Sweden and the HRE.

Frequently Asked Questions about Treaty of Alliance (1778)