War Shifts to the Middle States

On december 26th, another battle occured. it was called the Battle of Trenton. General George Washington corssed the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. He lead the main body of the Contiental Army agains the Garisson, which was a body of troops stationed in a fortified place. After a small battle, almost the entire Hessians were captured.

In the same year, Washington won another battle. the Battle of Princeton. He inflicted on Charles Corwallis's troops and injured many of his soldiers. On fall 1777, he lost Philadelphia, but they still didn't win the war. General John Burgoyne marched from Canada along with his troop to invade New York's Hudson Valley. Unfortunetely for them, they fell into a patriot's trap in Saratoga and he had to surrender in october the same year. In Saratatoga, the patriots defeated Burgoyne, and you could say that it was one of their greatest victories. Saratoga suggested that US might win the war. They were starting to have faith in them.

After all of this, Europeans started entering the war. The battle of Saratoga made them gain interest. This made France recognize the independence. Now, they had a chance to weaken the British, their old enemies. During the first years of the war, the French really doubted that the patriots would win, so they did not openly confirm that they were allying with the patriots, so they helped them with secret shippings, with ammunitions and weapons. This was the only thing keeping the patriots alive. French volunteers, and Marquis de Lafayette provfided a lot of help for the patriots. Saratoga also, made the French see that the patriots did have a chance to win the war, and that they did not face any risks in an open alliance. So, in february 1778, they negotiated the alliance.

  Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette. 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution.

In the American Revolution, Lafayette served as a major-general in the Continental Army under George Washington.

Benjamin Franklin was a ledaing american negotiator in Paris and became popular when he was in France. he becanme known as a simple american who loved the french.

Alliance was made, and the French Army and Navy began attacking the British, so the war became more even. The first tries were miserable, but at the end, the alliance produced the biggest victory if thewar in 1781.  British were suffering from this, and suffered even more when Spain entered the war as a French ally in 1779. Spain's purpose was also to weaken the British, but they were not an official ally of the French because they feared that fighting in this war would inspire their own colonists desire independence. Bernardo de Galvez (a spanish governer) provided the patriots with supplies and money, and also prevented british ships to enter the Mississipi Delta. Both of this allies helped the colonies incredibly.

Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightement and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lighting rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He formed both the first public lending library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania. Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation.