Louis XVI and Benjamin Franklin, 'Liberté des Mers', by Charles-Gabriel Sauvage, 1782-1785, courtesy of Winterthur Museum
A pivotal achievement during the American Revolution, the 1778 Treaties created the Franco-American alliance, triggering debates and shaping diplomacy on both sides of the Atlantic. Through its far-reaching consequences, the alliance helped define the modern world, marked by the rise of liberty, democracy, and the United States.