Changes

The Model Treaty was a template for commercial treaties that the United States Continental Congress sought to make with France and Spain to secure assistance in the struggle against the British in the American Revolution. Congress approved the treaty on September 17, 1776. The Model Treaty did not contain provisions for direct military support, but rather for the supply of weapons and other indirect assistance, in addition to favorable commercial terms.

More importantly, France agreed not to seek peace with Great Britain without British acknowledgment of American independence, and neither allied country was to seek peace without the other’s consent. The Treaty encouraged other countries to join the alliance, but only if both French and American negotiators were present. The 1778 treaty also included a secret clause allowing for articles to be altered if Spain chose to join the alliance.

====Conclusion====

The Model Treaty served as a strong starting point for negotiations. The United States was able to obtain most of the conditions it wanted, and the treaty that resulted proved beneficial to U.S. trade until the disruptions caused by the Haitian and French revolutions in the 1790s. The treaty also served as a model for future trade compacts, especially the Convention of 1800 between France and the United States that terminated the undeclared Quasi-War with France and restored peace between the two countries.

Article: [https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/model-treaty|The Model Treaty, 1776]