The Battles of Saratoga helped persuade France to enter a formal alliance during the Revolutionary War commemorated by America250.
The Battles of Saratoga took place in northern New York in 1777. American forces defeated and compelled the surrender of British general John Burgoyne’s army, which had been advancing south from Canada as part of a strategy to divide the colonies.
News of the British surrender changed France’s assessment of the American cause. France had previously offered limited assistance, but the victory demonstrated that the Continental forces could defeat a major British army. In 1778, France entered a formal alliance with the United States and openly joined the war against Britain.
Saratoga is often called a turning point of the Revolutionary War. French military, naval, financial, and logistical support later played an important role in the wider conflict, including the Yorktown campaign in 1781.