British general John Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga in 1777, a turning point in the American Revolution.
Burgoyne led a British army south from Quebec in an attempt to control the Hudson River valley and separate New England from the other colonies. His campaign faced difficult terrain, supply problems, and growing American resistance in northern New York and Vermont.
After the battles of Saratoga in September and October, Burgoyne's position deteriorated. He surrendered his army to American general Horatio Gates on October 17, 1777. The surrender demonstrated that American forces could defeat a major British field army.
The victory encouraged France to recognize the American cause as viable. France then concluded a commercial agreement and a Treaty of Alliance with the United States in 1778, providing crucial military and financial support. Burgoyne is sometimes confused with Cornwallis, who surrendered at Yorktown four years later.