![]() So between British bluster and bland French denials, tensions between the two countries were exacerbated - which was exactly what Franklin wanted. But the British, who had an extensive spy network, were not deceived. When the British government protested, Vergennes feigned innocence. He persuaded the French foreign minister, the Comte de Vergennes, to allow American ships to use French ports and even to allow him to secretly commission privateers. ![]() “That which makes the greatest impression in our favor here,” the commissioners wrote to Congress, “is the prodigious success of our armed ships and privateers.”įranklin took full advantage of this sentiment. The privateers strengthened the commissioners’ hand by demonstrating to the French that the American cause was worth backing. In Paris, a commission headed by Benjamin Franklin was lobbying to obtain French support for the American cause - ideally, to get France to enter the war on the American side. Privateering also put diplomatic pressure on Britain. These goods included military supplies that were badly needed by Washington’s army. Maritime insurance rates rose dramatically, as did the cost of imported goods.Īs the British economy suffered, the American economy was invigorated by the influx of prize money and captured goods. The proliferation of privateers brought immediate and substantial economic pressure on Britain. ![]() According to the National Park Service, Congress issued some 1,700 letters of marque during the Revolution.
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