The 1777 American victory at Saratoga persuaded France to become an ally of the United States.
The Battles of Saratoga were fought near Stillwater, New York, on September 19 and October 7, 1777. British General John Burgoyne led the campaign, which aimed to control the Hudson River Valley and separate New England from the other colonies. American forces were commanded by General Horatio Gates, with Benedict Arnold playing an important battlefield role.
Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17, 1777. The victory demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British force, encouraging France to provide open military support. The Franco-American alliance was signed in 1778 and brought French troops, naval power, money, and supplies into the war.
Saratoga is sometimes described as a single battle, but the name properly refers to two major engagements in the campaign. The later American victory at Yorktown benefited from French assistance, but Saratoga was the breakthrough that helped secure it.