Which 1781 American Revolutionary War battle is widely considered a major turning point in the conflict?

The Battle of Saratoga is widely considered a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War.

The Battles of Saratoga took place in New York in 1777, not 1781. American forces under Major General Horatio Gates defeated a British army commanded by Lieutenant General John Burgoyne. Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777, after the battles at Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights weakened his campaign.

The American victory had major diplomatic consequences. France judged that the American cause had a serious chance of success and formally entered the war as an ally of the United States in 1778. French military and financial support later contributed significantly to the defeat of British forces.

Saratoga is sometimes confused with Yorktown, the 1781 campaign that produced the decisive British surrender in the field. Saratoga did not end the war, but it changed its international character and strengthened the American struggle for independence.