Which 1777 American Revolutionary victory helped bring France openly into the war on the American side?

The Battles of Saratoga were the 1777 American Revolutionary victories that helped bring France openly into the war on the American side.

The campaign culminated in the surrender of British General John Burgoyne’s army to American forces led by General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York, on October 17, 1777. American commanders Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan also played important roles in the fighting.

Saratoga mattered internationally because it demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British force. France had already provided covert assistance, but the American victory encouraged a formal alliance. The Franco-American Treaty of Alliance was signed in February 1778.

The battles did not end the war, and the fighting continued for several years. Saratoga is sometimes described as a single battle, but historians generally refer to two major engagements: Freeman’s Farm on September 19 and Bemis Heights on October 7, followed by Burgoyne’s surrender.