Episode 115 Congress and French Diplomacy

The Continental Congress makes no real progress approving Articles of Confederation and has trouble supporting its own army. It sends a delegation to France to get an alliance with France. Congress sends Benjamin Franklin to join Arthur Lee and Silas Deane in France, with all three receiving official commissions. Before the commissions arrive, Deane has great difficulty getting any French aid to America. Lee's interference even raises doubts in the French government about whether Deane has any legitimate authority at all to negotiate on behalf of Congress. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Book Recommendation of the Week: A Diplomatic History of the American Revolution, by Jonathan Dull Online Recommendation of the Week: The Crossing and Ten Crucial Days - The Musical https://www.thecrossingmusical.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices