The Battles of Saratoga were the 1777 American victory often called a turning point in the Revolutionary War, remembered during America's 250th anniversary.
The Saratoga campaign took place in northern New York from June to October 1777. American forces stopped British General John Burgoyne’s attempt to move south from Canada and isolate New England from the other colonies.
The campaign’s decisive moments included the American victory at Bemis Heights on October 7 and the British surrender at Saratoga on October 17. General Horatio Gates commanded the American army during the surrender, while Benedict Arnold played a major battlefield role before later becoming famous for his treason.
Saratoga mattered internationally because the victory persuaded France to recognize the American cause and enter a formal alliance with the United States in 1778. Yorktown was the war’s decisive final campaign, but Saratoga is generally identified as the conflict’s diplomatic turning point.