![The Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance, which were signed on May 4, 1778, as seen in 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0504_treaties_m.jpg)
About the Author: Eric D. Duyck serves as Museum Collections Assistant at the U.S. Diplomacy Center.
On today’s date in 1778, diplomatic history was made.
Exactly 234 years ago, the United States ratified its very first two treaties: The Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. Together, these treaties created a formal alliance with France — an alliance that would ensure the success of our nation’s struggle for independence.
Late last year, the U.S Diplomacy Center acquired a very rare piece of this history — the first American printing of these two treaties, commissioned by the Continental Congress and printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia (famous for his 1776 broadsides of the Declaration of Independence). Only 300 copies were printed; very few survive today.
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fictionthatmatters reblogged this from statedept and added:
Some fascinating history on treaty making.
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