The French Quandry ...
I'm not so sure about that. The French provided experience, equipment and ships to counter the English navy, so no doubt it was of great help and shortened the war considerably. Waging warfare in colonies at that time is not exactly a commanders dream, however. Supply lines and reinforcements would be hell to administrate. I wonder if the English war effort could really be sustained in the face of prolonged guerrilla warfare.
The average French citizen was extremely sympathetic to the American cause.
Unfortunately, the French Monarchy was not, which has generally been the case throughout US-French relations since.
But that is another study, including some of the recent moves by the new French executive (which are surprising).
The French Monarchy resisted, but it was obvious some key French individuals of wealth made things happen without their approval.
That has always been the case with France, key French individuals have always helped Americans, sometimes immensely.
From our revolution to the Statue of Liberty (did
not come from the French government) to the occupation in WWII.
It eventually became key to French interests to assist the Americas in their revolution in their on-going war with the UK.
Likewise, the French pressure helped the Americas, even outside of the US itself.
But yes, it wasn't until very late that the French local presence made itself a key factor, but it did at the end for sure.
Unfortunately, the French Monarchy would not survive shortly afterwards, and it is not a bright history of the French that follows, including through the '70s (which is when their military officially became unable to exert its influence anymore).
US-UK relations have actually been much better than the French throughout American history, including right after our Revolution.
In fact, in 1781, we were already negotiating our own end to our war with the British independently of the French and, their allies, Spanish.
The Spaniards convinced the French to change the Treaty of Versai to include terms of the US becoming French Colonies, not independently recognized states.
Ole Ben Franklin got ahold of that one night and basically and bluntly told the French they were free to come and try to claim us as a colony.
In other words, we'd welcome that as much as the British, and we'd play their alliances and enemies against them as everyone was already, only in reverse.
Post-revolution, there were Americans who wanted to ally with the French and others who wanted nothing to do with "Old Europe."
Eventually, the latter won out largely because George Washington and most Federalists stated we would have nothing to do with allegiances that would only lead us back to war.
We even had differences with the French within a decade after the Treaty of Versai, and almost headed to war and there were a few Naval "engagements."
But as with most situations, we avoided most wars because they were beneficial to no one, especially trade with the US for anyone.
About the only exceptions were the exceptions we couldn't do anything but go to war.
The War with Tripoli was a perfect example -- we couldn't afford 25% of our federal revenue to pay for "pirate protection," whereas it was "chump change" for other nations.
So we went alone on that and forever made our imprint on the seas.
That was our stance pretty much to WWI, until it was utterly crumbling and eventually and ultimately destroyed by WWII.
The US has caused most of its own issues in its time prior to WWI that were not European created.
Despite the focus on impressment, US nationalism was responsible for the War of 1812 and we got our asses kicked until New Orleans.
Ironically the British did a lot to try to avoid the war, and had actually signed a ceasefire before the Battle of New Orleans.
The Texas War of Independent and Annexation along with the War with Mexico were not our highlights.
By the Spanish-American War, the US had actually implements its form of Imperialism.
It wasn't the same as European Imperialism, were you "branded and got the natives to fight each other and leave them dumb,"
but it was the foundation of our "we know better than you, we will educate you and have you think our viewpoint is best."
I admit that as an American, it's arrogant and we are forceful at times.
But despite the rhetoric, the US is far from the genocidal acts of various European nations in the 20th century.
We actually let our conquered nations share in their own wealth, and we try to help them construct Representational Democratic-Republics so they learn to live with each other, not destroy one another.
We fail miserably in our ignorance regularly though.
