WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Benjamin Franklin, the most distinguished scientific and literary American of the colonial era, was the first American diplomat. Franklin served from 1776 to 1778 on a commission to France charged with the critical task of gaining French support for American independence.

Detailed explanation-2: -France, Spain and the Dutch Republic helped to make it possible for the American colonies to sustain the war, and in Yorktown, the French played a critical role in the victory by using their navy to block British ships that would have evacuated Cornwallis and his troops from Virginia.

Detailed explanation-3: -A number of European countries assisted the American colonists. The primary allies were France, Spain, and the Netherlands with France giving the most support.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Americans argued that an alliance of the United States, France, and Spain would assure a rapid defeat of the British, but Vergennes, waiting until his navy was ready, hesitated.