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Treaty
of Alliance Between The United States and
France; February 6,
1778 The
signatories of the treaty were Benjamin
Franklin, Silas Deane, Arthur Lee for
the United States, and Conrad Alexandre
Gérard de Rayneval for
France. The most Christian King and the
United States of North America, to wit,
New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay,
Rhodes island, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia, having
this Day concluded a Treaty of amity
and Commerce, for the reciprocal
advantage of their Subjects and
Citizens have thought it necessary to
take into consideration the means of
strengthening those engagements and of
rondring them useful to the safety and
tranquility of the two parties,
particularly in case Great Britain in
Resentment of that connection and of
the good correspondence which is the
object of the said Treaty, should break
the Peace with france, either by direct
hostilities, or by hindring her
commerce and navigation, in a manner
contrary to the Rights of Nations, and
the Peace subsisting between the two
Crowns; and his Majesty and the said
united States having resolved in that
Case to join their Councils and efforts
against the Enterprises of their common
Enemy, the respective
Plenipotentiaries, impower'd to concert
the Clauses & conditions proper to
fulfil the said Intentions, have, after
the most mature Deliberation, concluded
and determined on the following
Articles. ART. 1. If War should break out betwan
france and Great Britain, during the
continuance of the present War betwan
the United States and England, his
Majesty and the said united States,
shall make it a common cause, and aid
each other mutually with their good
Offices, their Counsels, and their
forces, according to the exigence of
Conjunctures as becomes good &
faithful Allies. ART. 2. The essential and direct End of the
present defensive alliance is to
maintain effectually the liberty,
Sovereignty, and independance absolute
and unlimited of the said united
States, as well in Matters of
Gouvernement as of commerce. ART. 3. The two contracting Parties shall
each on its own Part, and in the manner
it may judge most proper, make all the
efforts in its Power, against their
common Ennemy, in order to attain the
end proposed. ART. 4. The contracting Parties agree that
in case either of them should form any
particular Enterprise in which the
concurrence of the other may be
desired, the Party whose concurrence is
desired shall readily, and with good
faith, join to act in concert for that
Purpose, as far as circumstances and
its own particular Situation will
permit; and in that case, they shall
regulate by a particular Convention the
quantity and kind of Succour to be
furnished, and the Time and manner of
its being brought into action, as well
as the advantages which are to be its
Compensation. ART. 5. If the united States should think
fit to attempt the Reduction of the
British Power remaining in the Northern
Parts of America, or the Islands of
Bermudas, those Countries or Islands in
case of Success, shall be confederated
with or dependent upon the said united
States. ART. 6. The Most Christian King renounces
for ever the possession of the Islands
of Bermudas as well as of any part of
the continent of North america which
before the treaty of Paris in 1763. or
in virtue of that Treaty, were
acknowledged to belong to the Crown of
Great Britain, or to the united States
heretofore called British Colonies, or
which are at this Time or have lately
been under the Power of The King and
Crown of Great Britain. ART. 7. If his Most Christian Majesty shall
think proper to attack any of the
Islands situated in the Gulph of
Mexico, or near that Gulph, which are
at present under the Power of Great
Britain, all the said Isles, in case of
success, shall appertain to the Crown
of france. ART. 8. Neither of the two Parties shall
conclude either Truce or Peace with
Great Britain, without the formal
consent of the other first obtain'd;
and they mutually engage not to lay
down their arms, until the Independence
of the united states shall have been
formally or tacitly assured by the
Treaty or Treaties that shall terminate
the War. ART. 9. The contracting Parties declare,
that being resolved to fulfil each on
its own Part the clauses and conditions
of the present Treaty of alliance,
according to its own power and
circumstances, there shall be no after
claim of compensation on one side or
the other whatever may be the event of
the War. ART. 10. The Most Christian King and the
United states, agree to invite or admit
other Powers who may have received
injuries from England to make common
cause with them, and to accede to the
present alliance, under such conditions
as shall be freely agreed to and
settled between all the Parties. ART. 11. The two Parties guarantee mutually
from the present time and forever,
against all other powers, to wit, the
united states to his most Christian
Majesty the present Possessions of the
Crown of france in America as well as
those which it may acquire by the
future Treaty of peace: and his most
Christian Majesty guarantees on his
part to the united states, their
liberty, Sovereignty, and Independence
absolute, and unlimited, as well in
Matters of Government as commerce and
also their Possessions, and the
additions or conquests that their
Confederation may obtain during the
war, from any of the Dominions now or
heretofore possessed by Great Britain
in North America, conformable to the
5th & 6th articles above written,
the whole as their Possessions shall be
fixed and assured to the said States at
the moment of the cessation of their
present War with England. ART. 12. In order to fix more precisely the
sense and application of the preceding
article, the Contracting Parties
declare, that in case of rupture
between france and England, the
reciprocal Guarantee declared in the
said article shall have its full force
and effect the moment such War shall
break out and if such rupture shall not
take place, the mutual obligations of
the said guarantee shall not commence,
until the moment of the cessation of
the present War between the united
states and England shall have
ascertained the Possessions. ART. 13. The present Treaty shall be ratified
on both sides and the Ratifications
shall be exchanged in the space of six
months, sooner if possible. In faith where of the respective
Plenipotentiaries, to wit on the part
of the most Christian King Conrad
Alexander Gerard royal syndic of the
City of Strasbourgh & Secretary of
his majestys Council of State and on
the part of the United States Benjamin
Franklin Deputy to the General Congress
from the State of Pensylvania and
President of the Convention of the same
state, Silas Deane heretofore Deputy
from the State of Connecticut &
Arthur Lee Councellor at Law have
signed the above Articles both in the
French and English Languages declaring
Nevertheless that the present Treaty
was originally composed and concluded
in the French Language, and they have
hereunto affixed their Seals Done at Paris, this sixth Day of
February, one thousand seven hundred
and seventy eight. C. A. GERARD B FRANKLIN SILAS DEANE ARTHUR LEE "The
History Guy" is a Registered Trademark. Contact
the webmaster |
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