<P> France allied with the United States during the American Revolutionary War ( American War of Independence 1775 -- 1783 ) in 1778 , declared war on Great Britain , and sent its armies and navy to fight Britain while providing money and matériel to arm the new republic . French intervention made a decisive contribution to the U.S. victory in the war . Motivated by a long - term rivalry with Britain and by revenge for its territorial losses during the French and Indian War , France began secretly sending supplies in 1775 . Spain and the Netherlands joined France , making it a global war in which the British had no major allies . France incurred a debt of over 1 billion livres . </P>
<P> France allied with the United States during the American Revolutionary War ( American War of Independence 1775 -- 1783 ) in 1778 , declared war on Great Britain , and sent its armies and navy to fight Britain while providing money and matériel to arm the new republic . French intervention made a decisive contribution to the U.S. victory in the war . Motivated by a long - term rivalry with Britain and by revenge for its territorial losses during the French and Indian War , France began secretly sending supplies in 1775 . Spain and the Netherlands joined France , making it a global war in which the British had no major allies . France incurred a debt of over 1 billion livres . </P>
who negotiated the treaties with france providing for french support of the revolutionary war
who negotiated the treaties with france providing for french support of the revolutionary war
British
British