250 years of US independence: How France helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War

Lafayette, the Treaty of Paris, Benjamin Franklin and the Battle of Yorktown: the key milestones in French support for the American rebels. © Studio graphique France Médias Monde

After months of discreet support, France officially allied itself with the American revolutionaries in their war against the British Empire, a decision that would permanently alter the fate of both nations.

On July 4, 1776, 13 British colonies in North America broke with the British Crown and declared their independence, in a momentous act of rebellion that would change the course of history. As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, FRANCE 24 looks back at France’s decisive – and often overlooked – role in the American Revolution.