Horatio Gates accepted General John Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga in 1777.
Burgoyne led a British army south from Quebec in an attempt to control the Hudson River Valley and divide the American colonies. His campaign became increasingly difficult as supplies dwindled and American resistance grew. The opposing American army was commanded by Horatio Gates, with important battlefield leadership also provided by Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan.
After two major battles near Saratoga in September and October, Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17, 1777. The victory was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War because it persuaded France to enter the conflict openly on the American side.
Gates is sometimes given too much individual credit for the victory. Arnold played a crucial role in the fighting, especially at Bemis Heights, although his relationship with Gates was strained. Burgoyne’s capitulation was not the end of the war, but it changed its international balance.