Which 1777 battle helped bring France into the American Revolution commemorated by America250?

The Battle of Saratoga helped bring France into the American Revolution commemorated by America250. The campaign in New York ended with British General John Burgoyne’s surrender to American forces on October 17, 1777.

Saratoga was a series of engagements rather than a single brief clash. American forces first fought at Freeman’s Farm on September 19, then won a major action at Bemis Heights on October 7. Burgoyne’s army was isolated from British support and eventually surrendered at Saratoga.

The victory persuaded France that the American cause had a realistic chance of success. France formally entered the war as a U.S. ally through the Treaty of Alliance in February 1778. French money, troops, weapons, and naval power later became crucial, especially during the Yorktown campaign.

Saratoga is often called the turning point of the Revolutionary War, but it did not immediately end the conflict. Fighting continued until the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which recognized American independence and formally ended the war.