The Battles of Saratoga: Upstate New York

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The Battles of Saratoga included two separate battles that happened in September and October of 1777. Historians consider these battles to have been the turning point of the Revolutionary War. After the Americans’ victory at Saratoga, France decided to join forces with the Continental Army, which helped reinvigorate Gen. George Washington’s troops. France helped not only with military support but also with contributions of supplies.

Moving South

The British had a plan in place that would give them control of upstate New York, isolating New England from the colonies farther south. Gen. John Burgoyne led his British troops south from Montreal along the shores of Lake Champlain, Lake George, and the Hudson River on their way to Albany, New York. After arriving, these troops would join up with two other groups of British soldiers. Burgoyne’s troops met with trouble in the forests near Lake George because the Americans had chopped down trees to block their path. By the time the Redcoats reached Fort Edward, they were almost out of supplies. Burgoyne sent a small group to Vermont to get supplies, and colonists overran them.

Meanwhile, British Gen. William Howe’s troops were moving north toward New York City, and they took a detour through Philadelphia. As they were distracted with taking Philadelphia, Washington’s Army gathered in York to stop Howe from joining up with Burgoyne. It was then that Washington realized that a major battle was brewing, so he sent some troops north. Washington also spread the word that the Continental Army was in need of all of the fighters it could get. A large group of both regular troops and militiamen came together at Saratoga to fight for the colonies.

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The Battle of Freeman’s Farm

Burgoyne’s troops continued to advance south, but they were stopped at Saratoga by an American force under the command of Gen. Horatio Gates. The Battle of Freeman’s Farm was the first battle of Saratoga, and it happened on Sept. 19, 1777. Burgoyne had divided his men into three columns. One American infantry group fought the middle column in a fiery clash, with British troops threatening to push the American troops back. Fresh colonial troops were sent in, and the advantage went back and forth throughout the day of fighting. In the end, the British troops opted to dig in and wait for more soldiers to arrive, and the Americans took up defensive positions. About twice as many British troops as Americans were lost in this battle.

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The Battle of Bemis Heights

The second battle happened on Oct. 7, 1777. This battle was called the Battle of Bemis Heights. Burgoyne realized that help was not coming; encircled by American troops, he decided to attempt to drive them out of the field. The Americans held off the attack at Bemis Heights, then pushed forward, led by Benedict Arnold. Burgoyne’s forces were overcome, and that night, his forces withdrew from the battlefield.

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Victory

Burgoyne officially surrendered on Oct. 17, 1777; the place where he surrendered would later be named Victory, New York. Burgoyne returned to England, and he never led another command. Meanwhile, the Battles of Saratoga became the turning point of the war; the victory convinced the French to form an alliance with the Americans, helping them to win their independence.

• Chronicle of the Revolution: Saratoga 1777
• Revolutionary War: The Turning Point, 1777-78
• The Battles of Saratoga
• Battles of Saratoga: Turning Point in the American Revolution
• The American Revolution
• French Assistance and European Diplomacy During the American Revolution
• The French Alliance
• Treaty of Alliance With France

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