Which 1777 battles are widely regarded as a turning point of the American Revolutionary War?

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

The campaign’s two principal battles were fought near Saratoga, New York: Freeman’s Farm on September 19, 1777, and Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777. American forces ultimately compelled British General John Burgoyne to surrender his army on October 17.

The victory had consequences beyond the battlefield. It demonstrated that the American forces could defeat a major British army and helped persuade France to enter the war openly as an American ally in 1778.

Saratoga is sometimes described as one battle, but the name properly refers to the two major engagements in the campaign. It is also distinct from Yorktown, the later 1781 victory that effectively ended major fighting.