Which 1777 American victory is widely described as a major turning point of the Revolutionary War?

The Battles of Saratoga are widely described as a major turning point of the American Revolutionary War.

The two battles were fought near Saratoga, New York, on September 19 and October 7, 1777. American forces commanded by Horatio Gates, with important battlefield actions involving Benedict Arnold, defeated the British army led by General John Burgoyne. Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17.

The victory demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British field force. It also persuaded France that the American cause had a realistic chance of success. France then entered an open alliance with the United States in 1778, providing troops, money, supplies, and naval support.

Saratoga is sometimes confused with Yorktown, where the major British surrender occurred in 1781 and which effectively ended the fighting. Saratoga did not end the war, but its diplomatic consequences greatly strengthened the American struggle and changed the conflict's international balance.