1777-December-27: French Foreign Minister Vergennes wrote to the French ambassador in Spain to discuss the strategic dilemma posed by the American Revolution.

1777-December-27: French Foreign Minister Vergennes wrote to the French ambassador in Spain to discuss the strategic dilemma posed by the American Revolution. He weighed whether it was more expedient to face a war against a united England and America or to align with America against England. Vergennes eventually concluded that an alliance with the United States was the best way to protect French interests in the Caribbean . Logan points out that some historians believe this fear of a British attack on Saint-Domingue was the primary driver of the eventual alliance . This entry illustrates the high-stakes geopolitical calculations that linked the American War of Independence to the security of Saint-Domingue.