<P> France formally recognized the United States on February 6 , 1778 , with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce , which was immediately followed by signing the Treaty of Alliance in anticipation of conflict as a result . Hostilities soon followed after Britain declared war on France on March 17 , 1778 . The British naval force , at that time the largest fleet afloat , and the French fleet confronted each other from the beginning . The British avoided intercepting a French fleet that left Toulon under the comte d'Estaing in April for North America , fearing the French fleet at Brest might then be used to launch an invasion of Britain . France had kept the Brest fleet to protect commercial shipping in European waters , and it sailed out only after a British fleet was confirmed to have left in pursuit of d'Estaing , thus weakening the British Channel fleet . In spite of this reduction the British fleet still outnumbered the French fleet at Brest , and Admiral d'Orvilliers was instructed to avoid combat when he sailed in July . D'Orvilliers met the fleet of Admiral Augustus Keppel in the indecisive Battle of Ushant on July 27 , after which both fleets returned to port for repairs . </P>
<P> France formally recognized the United States on February 6 , 1778 , with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce , which was immediately followed by signing the Treaty of Alliance in anticipation of conflict as a result . Hostilities soon followed after Britain declared war on France on March 17 , 1778 . The British naval force , at that time the largest fleet afloat , and the French fleet confronted each other from the beginning . The British avoided intercepting a French fleet that left Toulon under the comte d'Estaing in April for North America , fearing the French fleet at Brest might then be used to launch an invasion of Britain . France had kept the Brest fleet to protect commercial shipping in European waters , and it sailed out only after a British fleet was confirmed to have left in pursuit of d'Estaing , thus weakening the British Channel fleet . In spite of this reduction the British fleet still outnumbered the French fleet at Brest , and Admiral d'Orvilliers was instructed to avoid combat when he sailed in July . D'Orvilliers met the fleet of Admiral Augustus Keppel in the indecisive Battle of Ushant on July 27 , after which both fleets returned to port for repairs . </P>
when did the french enter the revolutionary war
when did the french enter the revolutionary war
February 6 , 1778
February 6 , 1778