05/06/2026
Essayons!
On May 6, 1778, General George Washington celebrated the formal alliance with France at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a day known as Alliance Day. Following the 1777 victory at Saratoga, the army celebrated with a parade, cheers, and a feu de joie (fire of joy) to honor King Louis XVI and the new partnership.
The celebration involved a, a ceremonial musket salute where soldiers fired in succession along the ranks, producing a "running fire". The event was held on the Grand Parade grounds at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In addition to the feu de joie, cannons boomed in salute, and the army shouted, "Huzzah! Long live the King of France!".
Washington ordered that extra rations of rum be distributed to the troops to celebrate the news.
The alliance brought much-needed hope, military, and financial aid from France to the American side during the war.
There are modern day reenactments of the feu de joie and the French Alliance celebration are frequently held at Valley Forge National Historical Park, showcasing the spectacle of the 1778 event.
Image: Feu de joie - Valley Forge 1778, by Mark Maritato.
This painting shows George Washington and Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben as the Continental Army fires a celebratory volley on the parade training ground at Valley Forge in the spring of 1778. This artwork is painted linen canvas that is mounted onto wood bars.
Image courtesy of Mark Maritato Historical Artist https://www.maritato.com/store/p54/feu-de-joie-valley-forge-signed-art-print.html
