Ironically, George Washington fought FOR the British against the French in 1754-8.
I have read that initially the colonists still considered themselves British, but were cheesed off with the taxes they had to pay, their motto being "No tax without representation" (in the London parliament).
The French played an important role in what became the War Of Independence, their warships preventing movement of British troops (and foreign mercenaries) and arms up the East coast of America. Modern Americans seem reluctant to mention that, perhaps explaining the France-USA antagonism.
In the 1950s some French politicians were demanding that all American troops left French soil. An American wag replied "Does that include all the dead ones?"