Victory and independence 13

In July 1780, King Louis XVI of France sent 6,000 troops to America under Comte Jean de Rochambeau. The French fleet disrupted British supply lines in Virginia, and together with American forces, engaged British General Cornwallis throughout the summer and fall. Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. Peace talks began in 1782, leading to the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, which recognized the independence of the 13 states. The new United States expanded west to the Mississippi River and north to Canada. The challenge of uniting the nation was still ahead.