Treaty of Alliance (1778)

The Treaty of Alliance was a defensive treaty between France and the United States of America, ratified by the Continental Congress on May 4, 1778. It was contingent upon France entering the American Revolutionary War. The treaty stipulated that if Great Britain attacked France, the United States would aid France, and neither country would make a separate peace with Great Britain until American independence was assured. A key element was the mutual recognition of American independence by France, a major world power at the time. The treaty also outlined territorial provisions regarding British possessions in North America, stating that the United States would have the right to conquer and control British territories north of Florida, while France could conquer and control British islands in the Caribbean. The Treaty of Alliance, alongside the Treaty of Amity and Commerce also signed in 1778, marked a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War, providing the Americans with much-needed military and financial assistance from France, which significantly weakened the British war effort. The Alliance remained in effect until 1800, when it was formally ended by the Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine.