5. American commissioners succeeded in gaining open ports for American ships in France and Spain
Officially France and Spain were neutral in the early years of the Revolutionary War, meaning that although American ships could enter their ports, as could British, neither side should expect favorable treatment in them. One of the earliest acts completed by the American commissioners to Europe was to ensure that American ships could refit in French and Spanish ports, both in Europe and in their overseas possessions. Badly needed ship’s stores; cordage, sails, timbers, spars, and materials to make vessels seaworthy were allowed under international law. Powder and shot were not, yet the Americans found them available surreptitiously.
This allowed Jones and other American commanders to keep their ships at sea for extended periods without having to run the blockade of British ships along the American coast. The Royal Navy simply did not have enough ships to blockade America and maintain effective patrols around the ports of continental Europe, and protect the island colonies of the Caribbean. The French maritime courts also adjudicated prizes, giving the Americans badly needed cash to spend on fitting out additional ships. By 1778, France was actively engaged in supporting the Americans, and Jones and Franklin prepared a plan for launching an invasion of Great Britain with a squadron of ships and 1,500 French troops.