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re: Can anyone explain Alabama fans’ infatuation with using French heritage as an insult?
Posted on 3/12/24 at 6:17 am to captdalton
Posted on 3/12/24 at 6:17 am to captdalton
quote:
During the Revolution, America begged France for help. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin sailed there and requested assistance for over a year. The French aristocracy just made fun of the American hicks. However, when it looked like America might actually defeat the British, and the British were France’s mortal enemy, France sent some of their navy to America. They told America they had three months and then they were heading home because of winter weather. The French provided a naval blockade during this time. They participated in one battle, providing naval cannon fire during one battle, an American victory.
Yes, the French waited until 1778 to jump in, but do you blame them? A rag tag group of militias rebranding as a Continental Army with not much if any naval support, going against the major world and naval powers at the time, also France’s next door neighbor with whom relations were already tenuous…
But the French provided more than what you outlined when they did get involved: immense amounts of gold and credit, top ranked generals and military advisors, munitions and personnel, supplies transport, the naval blockade, direct support to Washington. France also convinced its native American allies to join and disrupt British resupply operations, etc.
Discredit them as you may, but we don’t win without French support. And yes, the French were America’s first true ally starting in 1778. This acknowledgment by France gave America a significant amount of legitimacy on the world stage.
We did not have formal diplomatic relations with Britain until 1785.
2
Posted on 3/12/24 at 8:01 am to ibldprplgld
quote:
ibldprplgld
Can anyone explain Alabama fans’ infatuation with using French heritage as an insult?
quote:
During the Revolution, America begged France for help. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin sailed there and requested assistance for over a year. The French aristocracy just made fun of the American hicks. However, when it looked like America might actually defeat the British, and the British were France’s mortal enemy, France sent some of their navy to America. They told America they had three months and then they were heading home because of winter weather. The French provided a naval blockade during this time. They participated in one battle, providing naval cannon fire during one battle, an American victory.
Yes, the French waited until 1778 to jump in, but do you blame them? A rag tag group of militias rebranding as a Continental Army with not much if any naval support, going against the major world and naval powers at the time, also France’s next door neighbor with whom relations were already tenuous…
But the French provided more than what you outlined when they did get involved: immense amounts of gold and credit, top ranked generals and military advisors, munitions and personnel, supplies transport, the naval blockade, direct support to Washington. France also convinced its native American allies to join and disrupt British resupply operations, etc.
Discredit them as you may, but we don’t win without French support. And yes, the French were America’s first true ally starting in 1778. This acknowledgment by France gave America a significant amount of legitimacy on the world stage.
We did not have formal diplomatic relations with Britain until 1785.
Here here. Well said.
Posted on 3/14/24 at 12:17 am to ibldprplgld
quote:
the French provided more than what you outlined when they did get involved: immense amounts of gold and credit, top ranked generals and military advisors, munitions and personnel, supplies transport, the naval blockade, direct support to Washington
The French sold the US gunpowder, and allowed some mercenaries/adventurers to fight in a limited fashion. Basically it was a way to thumb their nose at their enemy Great Britain cheaply.
In the war of 1812? Nothing
Spanish American war? Supported Spain
The Barbary Pirate wars? Nothing
But the sold the US the Louisiana purchase deal cheaply… Napoleon’s plan was to conquer the US after he finished off Europe.
WWI we didn’t help our old faithful ally France
WWII repeat.
Korean War, France stayed out of it
Vietnam? The French had already lost indochina and were not present in force.
We can discuss the French government impact in the later part of the revolution if you want but after that they were not much of an ally. The majority of the US military leadership with experience in war had earned the experience fighting the French in the French and Indian war as part of the British military so a bit of distrust was there. And the war was already out of favor in Britain before the French sent a naval squadron for a season. The money had dried up, troops and attention was turning elsewhere with parliament looking to sue for peace in 1777/1778 through multiple venues.
My favorite part of the American revolution was how utterly avoidable it was. The idea of taxation without representation was laughable. The other British colonies absolutely had representation, as did many interests in American colonies. Hell Ben Franklin was in parliament. The colonies were just too cheap to use the rotten burrows system as designed to have that representation. The upper society in the American colonies should have bought seats to protect their interests like they did in every other colony.
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