THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA
The American victory during the Battle of Saratoga maintained control of the vital Hudson River valley and convinced France to recognize the United States and sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The flow of French supplies virtually guaranteed the British colonies' independence during the American Revolution.
During the spring of 1777, British general John Burgoyne made a plan to isolate New York from the rest of the American colonies. He realized that the Northeast contained the firebrands of the revolution, and he hoped that physically separating them from the men, supplies, and political leadership east and south of New York would effectively divide and conquer.
Burgoyne was largely successful in his plan until he neared Saratoga, where everything began to fall apart. Lt. Col. Barry St. Leger had laid siege to Fort Stanwyx in mid-August but fled upon news that a larger colonial force under Benedict Arnold was on the way. In addition, Burgoyne's forces were defeated while attempting to capture supplies at Bennington, Vermont. The defeat not only disheartened Burgoyne's troops but also rallied local support, and thousands of militia swarmed to Saratoga to join with Gen. Horatio Gates.
Despite the setbacks, Burgoyne attacked Gates at Freeman's Farm on September 19, 1777. Gates' sharpshooters picked off every officer in Burgoyne's center column, which quickly retreated. Burgoyne responded quickly and advanced his left and right columns. For three hours more, the action continued until Burgoyne finally ordered his force to entrench around Freeman's Farm and wait for relief from Gen. Henry Clinton, who was marching north from New York City to Albany. Burgoyne waited for three weeks, but Clinton had retreated after meeting resistance at West Point.
Low on supplies and with winter approaching, Burgoyne realized he would need to attack or retreat. On October 7, he led a reconnaissance to Bemis Heights and met a tough counterattack led by Arnold. Burgoyne retreated, but Gates surrounded him at Saratoga. Burgoyne was doomed, and on October 17, he surrendered his force to Gates.
The battles near Saratoga proved to be the turning point of the American Revolution. The encounters removed a significant British force from combat and thwarted the British plan to divide the colonies. There were no more serious threats to the waterway, and most of New York remained secure.
Most important of the results was the response from Europe. For some time, Benjamin Franklin had been lobbying the French government to recognize the United States and sign an alliance, which it finally did in February 1778. The following month, France declared war on England, followed by Spain in 1779 and the Netherlands in 1780. The declarations of war by the European powers forced England to look in two directions. No longer could it focus solely on suppressing the rebellion; now England had to hold troops and commanders in reserve in case fighting started nearer home.
MLA Citation
"Battle of Saratoga." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
During the spring of 1777, British general John Burgoyne made a plan to isolate New York from the rest of the American colonies. He realized that the Northeast contained the firebrands of the revolution, and he hoped that physically separating them from the men, supplies, and political leadership east and south of New York would effectively divide and conquer.
Burgoyne was largely successful in his plan until he neared Saratoga, where everything began to fall apart. Lt. Col. Barry St. Leger had laid siege to Fort Stanwyx in mid-August but fled upon news that a larger colonial force under Benedict Arnold was on the way. In addition, Burgoyne's forces were defeated while attempting to capture supplies at Bennington, Vermont. The defeat not only disheartened Burgoyne's troops but also rallied local support, and thousands of militia swarmed to Saratoga to join with Gen. Horatio Gates.
Despite the setbacks, Burgoyne attacked Gates at Freeman's Farm on September 19, 1777. Gates' sharpshooters picked off every officer in Burgoyne's center column, which quickly retreated. Burgoyne responded quickly and advanced his left and right columns. For three hours more, the action continued until Burgoyne finally ordered his force to entrench around Freeman's Farm and wait for relief from Gen. Henry Clinton, who was marching north from New York City to Albany. Burgoyne waited for three weeks, but Clinton had retreated after meeting resistance at West Point.
Low on supplies and with winter approaching, Burgoyne realized he would need to attack or retreat. On October 7, he led a reconnaissance to Bemis Heights and met a tough counterattack led by Arnold. Burgoyne retreated, but Gates surrounded him at Saratoga. Burgoyne was doomed, and on October 17, he surrendered his force to Gates.
The battles near Saratoga proved to be the turning point of the American Revolution. The encounters removed a significant British force from combat and thwarted the British plan to divide the colonies. There were no more serious threats to the waterway, and most of New York remained secure.
Most important of the results was the response from Europe. For some time, Benjamin Franklin had been lobbying the French government to recognize the United States and sign an alliance, which it finally did in February 1778. The following month, France declared war on England, followed by Spain in 1779 and the Netherlands in 1780. The declarations of war by the European powers forced England to look in two directions. No longer could it focus solely on suppressing the rebellion; now England had to hold troops and commanders in reserve in case fighting started nearer home.
MLA Citation
"Battle of Saratoga." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.