Did people in France ever move to America to fight in the American Revolution?

by MrQwom

As stated in the title, I am asking if people in France ever moved to America to fight in the American Revolution. I have looked around online and found articles stating that the French populace was generally in agreement in that the American Revolution was a good thing and since enlightenment ideals would have started to spread at that time it make sense. Also France would have been somewhat bitter towards Britain, so I think it would make sense that some die-hard revolutionaries would have moved to America to enlist but I have not found anything so far stating this to be possibly true.

mormengil

The French, of course, became allies of the Americans and joined the war against Britain.

They sent most of their navy, and an entire army to America to fight in the Revolution.

The critical naval battle of the Chesapeake, where 24 French battleships defeated 19 British battleships, and prevented the British from reinforcing or evacuating Cornwallis' British Army from Yorktown, was one of the most decisive battles of the war.

There were at least 18,000 French sailors involved in this crucial naval battle, which was essential for the later victory at Yorktown, and one of the key battles of the Revolution.

The French fleet's victory in the battle of the Chesapeake, made victory at the battle of Yorktown possible. Here, the French army played a crucial role. About 8,000 French soldiers took part in the battle of Yorktown, compared to about 8,000 American regulars of the Continental Army, and about 3,000 American militia. The French supplied almost half the soldiers in this critical battle against about 9,000 British.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown

So, tens of thousands of French came to America to fight in the American revolution. They mostly came as French national forces, not as volunteers or emigrants. Their contribution was critical and essential to American victory.

b1uepenguin

Just to clarify; when you say 'moved' do you mean relocated with the intent of residing in the Americas? Or, are you asking if any French came to fight on the side of the Colonists but without the intention of settling afterwards?

If you meant the second, then I would direct you firstly to the most well known of that second group, Lafayette, who came to fight on the side of the colonists and funded other Frenchmen to come and do the same. Gilbert du Motier (the, Marquis de Lafayette), was not the only Frenchmen, or even French noble to render assistance to the rebellious colonists, but his role and close relationship to Washington, was important enough that his name has been used repeatedly to name things in the United States; bridges, towns, roads, schools, etc.