European Friends of the American Revolution

Europe’s crucial contribution to the achievement of American independence.

American independence would not have been achieved without diplomatic, financial, and military support from Europe. And without recognition from powerful European nations, the young country would never have assumed an independent status "amongst the powers of the earth." This collection of essays not only offers new glimpses into the ways in which various European powers and actors enabled American patriots to fight and win the war, it also highlights the American Revolution’s short- and long-term impact on the Atlantic world.

Because of the strength of European support, Great Britain found itself diplomatically isolated, without an ally in a war that had become a global conflict, and with a navy outnumbered by the combined fleets of America’s friends. This volume is a timely reminder of the importance of international support for the winning of American independence and the global context of the American Revolution as we approach its 250th anniversary.

Contributors: Olivier Chaline, Sorbonne Université | Robert Rhodes Crout, College of Charleston | Kathleen DuVal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Victor Enthoven, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | Paul A. Gilje, University of Oklahoma | Jean-Marie Kowalski, Sorbonne Université | Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy, University of Virginia | Julia Osman, Mississippi State University | Munro Price, University of Bradford | Gonzalo M. Quintero Saravia, Senior Spanish diplomat | John A. Ragosta, Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello | Marie-Jeanne Rossignol, Université Paris Cité | Timothy D. Walker, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth