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Difficulty: MediumThe Revolutionary War: Military and Diplomacy

“England is the natural enemy of France... The present difficulties of the British government in America present an opportunity to diminish England's influence and restore the balance of power in Europe. By assisting the insurgent colonies, France can weaken her rival's naval supremacy and secure commercial advantages without directly engaging in a costly war at this time.”

—Count de Vergennes, French Foreign Minister, memorandum to King Louis XVI, 1776

Which of the following best explains why the policy proposed in the excerpt was eventually formalized into a direct military alliance in 1778?

  1. A
    The decisive American victory at the Battle of Yorktown persuaded French leadership that the rebellion was worth supporting openly.
  2. B
    The creation of a centralized executive branch under the United States Constitution gave France the diplomatic partner it required to sign a treaty.
  3. The American victory at the Battle of Saratoga demonstrated that the colonists could sustain a military conflict against Great Britain.Answer
  4. D
    The British government's immediate repeal of the Townshend Acts signaled to France that the colonies would remain part of the British Empire.

Answer

The American victory at the Battle of Saratoga demonstrated that the colonists could sustain a military conflict against Great Britain.
The victory at Saratoga in October 1777 convinced the French government that the American colonists stood a viable chance of defeating the British. This led directly to the signing of the Treaty of Alliance in February 1778, transforming the war into a global conflict and bringing vital French military and financial support to the American cause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt's excerpt and context.
The excerpt shows that in 1776, French Foreign Minister Vergennes wanted to aid the colonies to weaken Great Britain, but was hesitant to enter a formal, costly war.
Understanding the baseline diplomatic stance of France helps determine what changed to make them sign a formal military alliance.
2
Identify the key military turning point that altered France's calculation.
The Battle of Saratoga in October 1777 resulted in the surrender of an entire British army, showing that the Americans could win major engagements.
A formal alliance required assurance that French resources would not be wasted on a hopeless rebellion.
3
Evaluate the options for chronological and conceptual accuracy.
The option identifying the Battle of Saratoga correctly links the military victory to the formalization of the Treaty of Alliance in February 1778. The other options contain errors regarding the timeline of battles, taxation, or the Constitution.
Eliminating chronologically inconsistent events (Yorktown in 1781, Townshend Acts repeal in 1770, Constitution in 1787) leaves Saratoga as the correct turning point.

Key Concept

The French Alliance and the significance of the Battle of Saratoga as a diplomatic turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Revolutionary War: Military and Diplomacy

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