The Battles of Saratoga were the 1777 American victory widely regarded as a turning point because they helped bring France into the Revolutionary War.
The two battles were fought near Saratoga, New York, on September 19 and October 7, 1777. American forces under Horatio Gates opposed a British army led by General John Burgoyne, whose campaign aimed to control the Hudson River Valley and divide the colonies.
The second battle ended in a decisive American victory, and Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17. The result demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British force in the field.
Saratoga helped persuade France that the American cause had a realistic chance of success. France then entered the war as an American ally in 1778, providing troops, money, naval power, and supplies. French assistance became especially important during the later Yorktown campaign.