Thermidor Fun Fact Day Twenty-One: What’s France got to do with the fourth of July?

What does France have to do with the fourth of July? Let us count the things…
a. France supported the efforts of the rebels during the American War of Independence (1775-1783), providing munitions, supplies, and military force to vanquish British domination over the colonies.
b. In 1781 British forces attempted to subjugate Virginia, but a French naval victory just outside Chesapeake Bay led to a Franco-American siege at Yorktown and the capture of over 7,000 British soldiers. The defeat broke Britain’s will to continue the war.
c. The treaty that ended the war and recognized the sovereignty of the United States was negotiated and officially signed in Paris, France in 1783. That treaty declared the United States to have the territory bounded roughly by what is now Canada to the north, Florida to the south, and the Mississippi River to the west.
d. Unfortunately, the huge debts incurred in this war effort weakened the French monarchy and in fact led to its demise.
e. All of the above.

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