7th of September

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 07

In 1533 Queen Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich, England.

 

 

In 1778 French forces invaded and captured the British colony of Dominica.

 

During the “Seven Years War” France lost most of her territories to the British and one of France’s objectives in allying against Britain in the American civil war was to recapture that lost territory. Britain captured the Island of Dominica on the 7th of June 1761 and France ceded the island to Britain in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. It’s position between the Martinique and Guadeloupe made it strategically important and one of France’s first objectives.

 

In September 1775 sought aid in their aspirations towards independence and the Continental Congress contacted Britain’s enemies in Europe. France had been preparing for war with Britain since her catastrophic defeat at the end of the seven years war in 1763. France was more than happy to help the American revolutionaries against the British. But initially they kept their involvement covert until they were certain that victory would be possible. The French government supplied many weapons to the American revolutionaries and these guns proved valuable in the Battles of Saratoga (on the 19th of September and 7th of October 1777). Both battles proved victorious to the Americans and this showed the French government that an American victory was indeed possible. On the 6th of February 1778 French and American delegates signed the “Treaty of Alliance” or the Franco-American Treaty 1778. This treaty ensured France would aid the revolutionaries in America both economically and defensive against Britain and was set to last until 1800. Another clause included the promise that France would retain all its territories for all time on the basis that France would not attempt to expand her territories there.

 

On the 13th of March 1778 the French ambassador informed the British government of the Franco-American Treaty. This led Great Britain to declare war on France on the 17th of March 1778 and France’s direct and open assistance to the American Revolutionaries. France made her first move towards regaining possessions in the West-Indies and on the 7th of September 1778 a large French invasion force landed on the island. The British forces there had not yet had word of the War with France and were taken completely by surprise. With the end of the American Revolutionary War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783 the island was once more returned to the British and two further invasion attempts by the French proved unsuccessful. During the French Revolutionary Wars (1792 – 1802) France had conquered much of Europe and Britain demanded France give up some of its newly conquered possessions. Britain and France went to war again when France declared war on Britain on the 1st of February 1793 and expected America to uphold its alliance. The Franco-American Treaty was broken by George Washington when he declared America’s neutrality in May 1793.   

 

 

In 1978 the ‘Free Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka became the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka which it is known as today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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