Which 1777 campaign helped bring France openly into the Revolutionary War remembered by America250?

The Saratoga campaign helped bring France openly into the Revolutionary War remembered by America250. The campaign ended with the surrender of British General John Burgoyne’s army in October 1777.

Britain’s plan was to gain control of the Hudson River valley and separate New England from the other colonies. Burgoyne advanced south from Canada, while other British forces were expected to support the operation. The wider plan failed because British movements were not coordinated, and American forces resisted successfully in the region.

The campaign included the Battle of Bennington and the Battles of Saratoga. Burgoyne surrendered near Saratoga on October 17, 1777, after his army became surrounded and lacked a practical route to retreat. The American victory demonstrated that the revolutionary forces could defeat a major British field army.

France had already provided covert assistance, but Saratoga changed its calculation. In 1778, France entered a formal alliance with the United States and openly fought Britain. French money, troops, supplies, and naval power became crucial to the eventual American victory, especially at Yorktown.