The Treaty of Alliance created a formal military alliance between the United States and France during the American Revolution.
The treaty was signed on February 6, 1778, alongside the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The commercial treaty recognized American independence and established trade relations, while the Treaty of Alliance addressed military cooperation against Great Britain.
French support became especially important after the American victory at Saratoga in 1777. France supplied troops, naval forces, weapons, money, and other resources. French military and naval assistance later played a major role in the campaign that forced the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
The agreement was not an unlimited promise to fight every future American enemy. It focused on the war with Britain and included provisions concerning French possessions in the Americas. The alliance eventually weakened after the French Revolution and was formally ended through the Convention of 1800.