The Battle of Saratoga: The Great Turning Point
Copyright © 2005-6, Henry J. Sage

The year 1777 was a crucial year in the American struggle for independence.  The year 1776 had been highlighted, of course, by the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which was the great turning point of the war in terms of the overall objective.  But the fighting in 1776 had been less than successful.  Only General Washington's daring advance across the Delaware River that led to victories at Trenton and Princeton saved the year from being a total washout.

In 1777 the British adopted what they hoped would be a decisive strategy to divide the colonies along the Hudson River-Lake George-Lake Champlain line, detaching New England, long seen by British authorities as the hotbed of the rebellion, from her sister colonies. They planned a 3-pronged attack against the Americans, the Howe-Burgoyne-St. Leger Campaign, whose goal was to divide and conquer. The campaign involved a complicated series of maneuvers that would require full cooperation by officers who were not in direct communication with each other. General John Burgoyne was to  attack from the Canada along Lake Champlain and Lake George toward Albany.  General Barry St. Leger was to head eastward from Lake Erie via the Mohawk River toward Albany, and General William Howe was to come up the Hudson River toward the same convergence point. See map.

Fortunately for the Americans the campaign failed in all three of its components. St. Leger's campaign was interrupted at the Battle of Oriskany, at which General Herkimer won hard-fought victory over the British, stalling St. Leger. A force of 1,000 Iroquois Indians under Chief Joseph Brant were also present. 

The major portion of the campaign, however, involved in the General Burgoyne’s advance from the north.  Accompanied by a Hessian mercenaries, including German officers’ wives, and a huge baggage train which included what could only be called luxury items not really needed for  a wilderness campaign, “Gentleman Johnny,” as he was known, made his way ponderously down from Canada with 8,000 troops. 

Burgoyne’s campaign began with promise.  He passed the fort at Crown Point and captured Fort Ticonderoga on July 5 after the Americans evacuated. American General Horatio Gates, in overall command, had concentrated his forces at Albany. On August 16, however, British fortunes began to change. At the Battle of Bennington General John Stark and the Vermont militia defeated a detachment of Burgoyne’s army. American raiders had begun harassing Burgoyne’s supply lines, so on September 13 and 14 Burgoyne crossed to the west bank of the Hudson River, cutting off his own retreat, thus committing his army to battle.

On September 19 at the Battle of Freeman's farm, General Benedict Arnold repulsed Burgoyne’s army, and on October 7 at the Battle of Bemis Heights, Generals Arnold and Daniel Morgan again repulsed Burgoyne, who withdrew to Saratoga, now surrounded and with supply lines mostly cut off.  Between October 10 and 17, during the Battle of Saratoga the British were forced to retreat further, were eventually completely cut off, surrounded and forced to give up the fight. Burgoyne surrendered his entire army, a stunning victory for the Americans.

The victory at Saratoga was the major military turning point of the American Revolution:  It provided a tremendous morale boost for Americans, who showed they could defeat a large British army in the field.  The Americans captured 300 officers, including seven generals, and 5,000 troops.  The contribution of the Marquis de Lafayette foreshadowed more formal French assistance and recognition of American independence.

General Howe, meanwhile, who had been working his way toward Albany to assist Burgoyne, decided instead to capture Philadelphia—which he did easily—once he learned that Burgoyne had surrendered. Howe desired to take advantage of the loyalist sentiment that existed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Effects of Saratoga

The American victory at Saratoga persuaded the French to offer an alliance—founded on their desire for revenge and Franklin's brilliant diplomacy—that turned the American rebellion into a much wider war. France had been supplying the Americans with arms from the beginning of hostilities. After Saratoga, England feared an open alliance between France and America and proposed peace. Parliament offered to repeal all acts passed since 1763, to respect the right of Americans to tax themselves, and to withdraw all English troops. The Americans, however, preferred full independence and allied themselves with France in 1778. The French recognized American independence December 1777. In January 1778 French Minister Vergennes offered to enter into two treaties with the United States, military and commercial.

Meanwhile Spain decided to join the fight against Great Britain but did not recognize the American minister to Spain, John Jay. Jay failed to gain Spanish recognition of independence, but did manage to borrow small amount of money.  Spain was anxious to recoup some of her holdings in North America, which in fact did occur: Florida was returned to Spain during the peace negotiations in 1783. Also making Great Britain’s situation more troublesome, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and Portugal entered the “League of Armed Neutrality.” Great Britain was, in effect, fighting the entire western world.

Summary of major events of the Campaign leading to Saratoga