1) George Washington served as an example by perservering through he war especially during times when he was pushed back severely. During the cold winters where they didn't have the equipment for the cold, he still stood by them. He also was a former British soldier and an officer but joined the revolutionaries and is a prime example of a patriot because of his beliefs of independence.
2) without the French we would have lost the war. The French basically funded our military and supplied us with cannons, guns, and even troops. They helped us surround the British and yorktown and without them there is a huge possibility that the United States would not have existed.