Silas DEANE was an early American diplomat who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776. He was also a major figure in the American Revolution, helping to secure French aid for the colonies. He was sent to France in 1776 to negotiate a treaty of alliance and commerce with the French government. He was later appointed as the first United States Minister to France in 1778. DEANE died in 1789 while on a mission to England.