Treaty of Amity and Commerce (France–United States)
1778 treaty between the United States and France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Treaty of Amity and Commerce established formal diplomatic and commercial relations between the United States and France during the American Revolutionary War. It was signed on February 6, 1778 in Paris, together with its sister agreement, the Treaty of Alliance, and a separate, secret clause allowing Spain and other European nations to join the alliance.[1][2][3] These were the first treaties negotiated by the fledgling United States, and the resulting alliance proved pivotal to American victory in the war;[4] the agreements are sometimes collectively known as the Franco-American Alliance[3] or the Treaties of Alliance.[5]
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce recognized the de facto independence of the U.S. and established mutual commercial and navigation rights between the two nations; it served as a defiant alternative to the British Acts of Trade and Navigation, which restricted American access to foreign markets. The Treaty of Alliance established a mutual defense pact, forbidding either nation from making a separate peace with Great Britain, and guaranteeing French support of the Americans should the British violate their peace with France.[6]
Due to the critical material, financial, and military support secured by the treaties, their successful negotiation is considered the "single most important diplomatic success of the colonists".[7][8] However, later complications with the Treaty of Alliance led to America foregoing any formal military alliance until the Declaration by United Nations in 1942.