The Battles of Saratoga were the 1777 American victory that persuaded France to support the Revolution, a major turning point recalled by America250.
The campaign took place in northern New York during September and October 1777. American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold defeated a British army commanded by John Burgoyne near Saratoga.
Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777. The victory demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British force and encouraged France to enter a formal alliance with the United States in 1778.
Saratoga is sometimes described as one battle, but the name usually refers to two major engagements: the Battle of Freeman’s Farm on September 19 and the Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7. The campaign’s outcome also helped bring French military, naval, and financial assistance to the American cause.