Do Americans owe their freedom to the French?

Besides providing material aid and manpower, the French engaged the British Empire across the globe: in the Caribbean, Egypt, in India, and on the oceans. It is very arguable that such engagements overextended Britain and forced them to divert resources from the American colonies. The American Revolution was actually a world war between France and England in many ways.

I agree that any such debt was repaid in the First and Second World Wars. However, I do believe France played an integral role in American independence.

You’re half right, in my opinion. For one thing the American Revolution came before the French Revolution, and influenced it in some ways.

But yes, I think it’s doubtful that the American Revolution would have succeeded without French aid. The Battle of Yorktown definately was won because of French involvement.

What’s so ironic is that France helped us win the war over England, but the results were eventually good for England and bad for France. England got the benefit of trading with the United States without having to administer the colonies, while the French lost a lot of money helping us fight the war, and a decade later their government would fall to revolution inspired a little bit by events in America.

It’s hard to say. The French certainly helped, but it isn’t clear that the help was instrumental.

However, whatever debt may have been owed to the French by the US, was reciprocated in WWII.

France played a major financial role in American independence from Britain and provided many troops and other types of support as well. In addition, some of our Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by France and many of them spent a great deal of time there when not in the states. I don’t know if that means we “owe” France something but they certainly played a part in the process and I’d like to see that remembered.

I don’t think that would be a fair statement. The American colonist were upset with British rule way before the French and Indian War. You have to remember that the colonist were upset over the control of rum, slaves, taxes, land distribution ect. the colonist were bound to break away. The French were not the only one who support them, Indians and African Slaves did as well.

Nope we the french gave us the statue of libertiy