In order to promote a fair and balanced Open Salon I am posting the following.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:I3MNJZyChcAJ:revolution.h-net.msu.edu/essays/carp.html+french+soldiers+american+revolution&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Historians also stress the importance of the direct assistance that the European allies gave to the Americans in their victory over the British. It is probably not going too far to say that America owes its independence to foreign intervention and aid, especially from France. The French monarchy sent arms, clothing, and ammunition to America; it also sent soldiers and the French Navy. Most importantly, the French kept the United States government solvent by lending it the money to keep the Revolution alive. The magnitude of French support of the American Revolution can be glimpsed at the battle of Yorktown. There, the majority of George Washington's 15,000 man Continental Army were French soldiers. Washington's men were clothed by the French, the rifles they used were French, and French gold paid their wages. Nor must we forget that it was the French Navy that trapped Cornwallis's soldiers at Yorktown by preventing English ships sent from New York from rescuing the British army. Perhaps the final irony of the French monarchy's assistance to America (and proving once again that no good deed goes unpunished) is that it led to the financial collapse of the French ancien regime. And the bankruptcy of Louis XVI was one of the major causes of the French Revolution.

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Why do they hate us?

I dunno.

Willful ignorance of history?  Believing everything one is told by media outlets?

The above material is somewhat covered in the excellent HBO series about John Adams.

Or one could always read the very fine book on which that series was based.

 I'm just saying.