Which Revolutionary War campaign persuaded France to ally with the United States in 1777?

The Battles of Saratoga persuaded France to ally with the United States during the Revolutionary War in 1777.

The campaign consisted of two major engagements fought near Saratoga, New York: the Battle of Freeman’s Farm on September 19 and the Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7. American forces ultimately defeated the British army commanded by General John Burgoyne, who surrendered after the second battle.

Saratoga was strategically important because Burgoyne’s campaign aimed to divide New England from the other rebellious colonies. The American victory demonstrated that the Continental Army could defeat a major British force. France then entered the war as an American ally, providing military, naval, and financial assistance.

The Battles of Saratoga are sometimes described as a single battle, but the name properly refers to the 1777 campaign’s two principal battles. Saratoga is also distinct from Yorktown, where the decisive British surrender occurred in 1781 with crucial French support.