The Battles of Saratoga were the 1777 American victory that helped persuade France to ally with the United States.
The Battles of Saratoga were fought near Saratoga, New York, on September 19 and October 7, 1777. American forces commanded by Horatio Gates opposed the British army led by General John Burgoyne, whose campaign aimed to divide New England from the other colonies.
The second battle produced a decisive American victory, and Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17. The result demonstrated that the American cause could defeat a major British force, encouraging France to enter the war openly. France and the United States signed the Treaty of Alliance on February 6, 1778.
The name can cause confusion because Saratoga refers to two related battles and the wider campaign. It is also distinct from Yorktown, the later 1781 victory that led to the end of major fighting and preceded the peace settlement.