Final answer:
France joined the American Revolution to weaken British power and potentially recover losses, not due to special trade hopes or personal relationships. The American-French alliance was vital for American success, but later events, like the French Revolution, complicated the relations between the two nations.
Step-by-step explanation:
France became involved in the American Revolution primarily because C) France hoped to recoup some of its colonial losses to the British. France and Britain were long-standing rivals, and the American Revolution presented an opportunity for France to weaken British power and potentially regain territories lost during earlier conflicts. The involvement of France was strategic; the French alliance with the American colonies, secured after the American victory at Saratoga, was crucial to the colonies' eventual success. Although the Treaty of Alliance in 1778 required mutual defense between the United States and France, the subsequent French Revolution and its implications strained the relationship, leading to different perspectives within the American government on supporting France.
During the French Revolution, which began in 1789, the Americans were initially sympathetic to the French cause. However, with France declaring war on monarchies in 1793, including Great Britain, this put the United States in a difficult position. Despite the Treaty of Alliance, the desire to trade in Europe and avoid conflict influenced Washington's administration to declare neutrality, a stance which caused division in the United States as Federalists and Democratic-Republicans had different views on supporting the French republicans.