USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat, arrived in Philadelphia in July 1777 and offered his services to the Continental Army. Serving as a major general in the Continental forces, he quickly forged a life-long friendship with American commander in chief George Washington.

Detailed explanation-2: -Lafayette in Philadelphia When Lafayette first arrived in Philadelphia in 1777, it was at Independence Hall where he was commissioned an officer in the Continental Army. Lafayette traveled back to Philadelphia frequently during the American Revolutionary War.

Detailed explanation-3: -George Washington met the nineteen-year-old Marquis de Lafayette on August 5, 1777, less than a week after the Continental Congress appointed the young Frenchman to be a volunteer Major General in the Continental Army. Lafayette was assigned to serve on Washington’s staff.

Detailed explanation-4: -The victory at Saratoga proved the potential of the American troops and demonstrated to the French that the Americans could possibly defeat the British. The victory at Saratoga demonstrated that the Americans could potentially defeat the French, so it was necessary to secure them as allies before they became opponents.

Detailed explanation-5: -Benjamin Franklin’s popularity in France bolstered French support for the American cause. The French public viewed Franklin as a representative of republican simplicity and honesty, an image Franklin cultivated.