The battle of Saratoga is about a grueling brawl between the Americans and the British. In 1777, the American colonies revolted and threatened to kick the British out. The Americans wanted to declare their independence from England. English general John Burgoyne had a plan in place to crush the uprising. The British expected to win but to their surprise, the Americans had a plan in place as well. As general Horatio prepared to take command of the American northern army, outgoing commander general Philip Schuyler had men in place ready to set in motion to stop Burgoyne’s army from coming through the forest. Woodsmen sent out to chop down trees in order to block and stall John Burgoyne and his troops. However, Burgoyne did not let this phase him and continued. The Americans did not stop either, Benedict Arnold thought to stall Burgoyne’s troops by convincing his Indian allies that there was an enormous force awaiting them ahead, and they fled. Now with less men Burgoyne had no clue what was to come. Horatio made his way to northern Saratoga taking his place on a high plateau at Bemis Heights over the Hudson River. …show more content…
On October 18, Gates delivers and ultimatum to Burgoyne giving him only 10mins to decide or the Americans were going to attack. Burgoyne finally surrendered, and his defeat against the Americans put an end to British control in New York. The battle of Saratoga was officially over. this was the first time the Americans proved they could stand and fight. France and other European powers now throw their support behind the revolution. Richard Patterson said in the video, “The battle of Saratoga is considered by many historians as being one of the most significant battles in world history because it turned such a world changing event as the American
bloody and costly years for both sides we come to the date of July 1,
The battle at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 is most famously known as the “ battle that ended the Revolutionary War.” While this is true, there is still much that can be learned from the principles applied, that still has relevance today. General George Washington, along with his allied French commanders, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau and Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, they exquisitely displayed how a execute siege operations. This battle also displayed a great example of how multinational operations can be successful.
Some of the Hessian and British soldiers tried to escape over Assunpink Bridge, but General Sullivan led troops to the bridge and guarded it to prevent more escapes. The Hessians and British were now trapped. The Hessians who tried to escape through the apple orchards and over Assunpink Bridge were all forced to surrender. The Americans had won the battle of Trenton in less than two hours.
During the Battle, both sides used different tactics and strategies. Burgoyne decided to go with a risky strategy of dividing his army into three columns, two towards Bemis Heights and one to follow the road that paralleled the Hudson. The American forces (led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold) placed expert riflemen (led by Daniel Morgan) in charge of taking out the left flank of the British (led by Simon Frasier). This strategy worked well for the Americans, of course until they ran out of ammunition.
The importance of this raid lay in the fact that they captured much-needed cannons and gunpowder.
The Battle of Saratoga and Yorktown are said to be two of the most influencive battles of the Revolutionary War because of what they attributed to. The Battle of Saratoga proved to be a turning point since France made a military alliance with the Americans once they defeated British. This gave a great advantage to the Americans since they were now aided with ammunition, guns, money, and troops. A few years later came the Battle of Yorktown, with the Amercians once again claiming victory after the British general Cornwallis surrendered. While this battle was not the last in the war, it did prompt the British government to eventually negotiate an end to the war. In conclusion, the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown proved to be very influencial
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle for the North, and it lasted for a total of three days. It began on July 1 and ended on July 3, 1863. The Confederacy was going on the offensive and was beginning to venture into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. They encountered Union troops as they advanced towards Harrisburg where they planned to cut off Union supply lines and to steal provisions that they needed. The Battle of Gettysburg became the bloodiest multi-day battle ever fought in United States history. At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union claimed victory, and they would use this psychological advantage throughout the rest of the Civil War.
The Battle of Yorktown was the decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War. The French and American forces laid siege upon the British forces at Yorktown, Virginia and eventually forced the surrender of nearly one-third of the total number of British troops in America. This battle showed that massive loss of life is not the only factor that will determine the victor, as there were a relatively low number of casualties taken by both sides. Instead, it was an aggregate of economic, social, geographical, and weather factors along with a bit of luck when it came to the timing of the major military movements and tactics all led to the success of the Franco-American forces. Had it not been for these combined factors the Battle of Yorktown and the American Revolutionary Was may have had a very different outcome.
Saratoga was ultimately two battles, one in which the British had won. The first skirmish of Saratoga went to the British because of their seemingly foolproof divide and conquer strategy. John Burgoyne planned to invade the colonies by advancing down the Hudson Valley to Albany. He would then be joined by troops who were under the command of Sir William Howe. Burgoyne believed that their current strategy would isolate New England from the other colonies and would allow to assume control of the Hudson River which would demoralize the colonists and their allies. Burgoyne and his forces set off for Ticonderoga and prepared to meet their
The days before the battle helped the Americans capture a victory at Yorktown. At first, the war was between the Colonies and the British; however, the French came into the war to help aid the Colonists and win the war over Great Britain. Before the battle of Yorktown, General George Washington was stationed in New York with his army. “In the spring of 1781, Washington traveled to Rhode Island to meet with Comte de Rochambeau and plan to attack on Clinton” (“History of the Siege”). Lieutenant General Henry Clinton is a British general who marches through the northern and middle colonies in an attempt to gain control in those areas. The French were a big advantage to the Colonists because of their naval fleet. George Washington was expecting the French fleet to arrive in New York and help aid in the attack on Clinton, however, he “learned that the French fleet was sailing to the lower Chesapeake Bay”
The second crucial battle of Saratoga, the Battle of Bemis Heights, occurred on October 7, 1777. The start of the American revolution taking a complete turn. General Burgoyne was determined to launch an attack on the Americans at Bemis Heights. By this time, American General Gates was reinforced with his army of about 12,000 men versus around 4,000 British and Germans. The French Alliance changed the face of the war for the British, “the American war for independence was now in essence a world war”. France had been secretly supplying weapons and ammunition to the American soldiers. They kept it a secret because the French didn’t want a show or create an open alliance, but soon the French realized that the Patriots had an opportunity to win the war. They were now willing to form an open alliance with the Americans against the British. The alliance with French was critical and essential for winning the war. Without the French, the Patriots would have lost. Some benefits of the alliance were that the French provided supplies and ammunitions to the Americans so that they could continue fighting. French also volunteered their soldiers and generals. America was now ready for war with the British. Since Freeman's Farm, the Patriots had increased in strength. Gates’ army now had
The Revolutionary War started in 1775. The American colonies have had enough of the British occupants and set their foot down in pursuit to freedom and independence. Each battle that happened during the Revolutionary War had its own significance and contributions to the independence of the colonies. Many brave men laid their lives in pursuit of the dream of independence from British control. One particular battle paved the way for that independence to become a reality. That battle is known as the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown took place in what we know today as Virginia. It was a decisive battle that turned the table during the Revolutionary War. The battle ultimately led to the liberty of the American Colonies from the
Leading up the battle of Yorktown, in February, 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia. About a month later General Cornwallis and his army had entered Virginia believing that if the American forces had resistance, he would have victory against the Americans and the French. Later that year in August on 1-2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army set up at Gloucester point, hoping to use it as a base for supply and weapons. Couple of weeks later, Washington heard about the base and sent a large army to destroy Cornwallis base. A month later on September 14, 1781, French General Rochambeau and General Washington arrived, and sent 400 French soldiers and 400 American soldiers to storm the British redoubt. On October 19, 1781, being taken under heavy from the Americans and the French, Major General Cornwallis realized that he was short of troops and decided to escape Yorktown before surrendering. Making the move to escape, a sudden storm from the Americans and French ruined his evacuation plan and Cornwallis was forced to surrender, due to the lack troops and supplies.
The American Revolutionary War took place from 1775 to 1783. The war made the thirteen colonies of the United States of America independent from Great Britain. One of the first major battles of the American Revolution was The Battle of Long Island. The Battle of Long Island was the first battle that took place after the United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776. The battle took place in August 1776 and proved to both sides that the upcoming war would be long and arduous, not easily won by either side. The British Army was victorious in this battle and forced the Continental Army to retreat leaving the entire state of New York under British control. This paper will provide insight and valuable information into the reason behind the American Revolution, and The Battle of Long Island, specifically details concerning the Continental and British Armies, strategies employed during the battle, and an alternate outcome through addressing failures in the American strategy. An alternate outcome to the battle would have a significant impact on the American Revolutionary War.
Commanders at all levels face increasingly challenging scenarios as the operational environment changes. Some instinctively motivate and empower their subordinates to think and act independently, thereby influencing actions during combat. However, those who understand the commanders' activities of mission command will influence not only subordinates, but the outcome of the battle as well. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders.1 Commanders who understood the importance of mission command was Major General Horatio Gates. General Gates at the Battle of Saratoga successfully