France lost large expanses of land to the British during the French and Indian War,
and both the government and the people were delighted that the American colonies had rebelled
against their powerful rival.
Perhaps the most important result of the Patriot victory at Saratoga was that it opened the
door to European recognition of the United States of America and foreign help.
Not surprisingly, most of the aid came from Britain's main enemy, France.
What type of aid did they give?
Benjamin Franklin, an experienced and skilled diplomat, travelled to France in 1776 to ask
for support from King Louis XVI and the French government.
While France did give some aid to the struggling American colonies, full recognition did not
come until word of the stunning American victory at Saratoga.
The victory convinced France, Spain, and Holland that the Americans could win.
In May of 1778, the Continental Congress ratified a treaty that formed a formal alliance between
the United States and France.
Once the treaty became official, the French drastically increased the level of supplies
and funds to the colonies.
They also agreed to provide soldiers and ships to the American cause.
French naval support would be vital to the colonies eventually achieving victory over
Great Britain.
One Frenchman wasn't so hesitant to come to the aid of the colonies.
"The Future of America is closely bound up with the future of mankind."
Those were the words of Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman and one of the wealthiest
men in France.
While still a teenager, Lafayette bought a ship and set sail for the United States with
a group of well-trained soldiers.
Lafayette offered his services to General Washington and volunteered to serve without
pay.
He spoke little English, but quickly became one of Washington's most trusted officers.
He gave over $200,000 ($4.5 million in today's money!) of his own money to support the Patriot
cause and wrote to powerful friends in Europe asking for aid to support the American cause.
The Continental soldiers grew to greatly admire Lafayette for leaving the luxurious life of
a nobleman to come to America and fight.
He shared the soldier's hardship by living in the cold, spent his own money to buy blankets
for the men, and ate the same disgusting food that the soldiers did.
Washington's men called him "The soldier's friend."
They found it was amazing that Lafayette endured such hardships when he did not have to.
Likewise, Lafayette was amazed at the Americans and their commitment to their cause.
On multiple occasions, Lafayette displayed exceptional bravery.
During the Battle of Brandywine, he leaped off of his horse to rally retreating troops.
Even after being shot, he attempted to organize a counter attack.
When Washington found Lafayette, the Frenchman was extremely weak from loss of blood.
Washington carried the young man to his personal physician and said, "Take care of him as if
he were my son."
Lafayette survived and continued to serve Washington faithfully until the end of the
war.