The Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the major turning point of the American Revolution. This battle proved to the world that the fledgling American army was an effective fighting force capable of defeating the highly trained British forces in a major conflict. As a result of this successful battle, the European powers, primarily France, took interest in the insurrection of the Americans and began to support them. In the British Campaign of 1777, Lord George Germain and Major General Burgoyne planned a comprehensive advance of three columns to meet in Albany, New York. Burgoyne would lead the main column, which moved southward along the Hudson River. A second column under General Barry St. Leger would serve as a diversionary attack, moving eastward from Canada along the Mohawk River. General William Howe would direct the third element of the attack. According to the plan, Howe would direct General Henry Clinton to move northward along the Hudson River and link up with Burgoyne in Albany. The goal of this plan was to isolate and destroy the Continental forces of New England, effectively splitting the Colonies along the Hudson River and ending the American Revolution. Initially, the British plan appeared to be working. Burgoyne 's army continually pushed back the Americans southward along the Hudson River with only minor casualties. Burgoyne’s invasion force comprised of 9,000 men, including 4,200 British regulars, 4,000 German mercenaries, 400 Indian warriors, and
The Battle of Saratoga was a main turning point in the war because it was a major victory. Two battles made up Saratoga, one on September 19 and one on October 7. It was the key battle that everyone had seen the colonists win. The Battle of Saratoga caused others to start to recognize the Americans, which was tremendously significant for them. This victory is what convinced France to enter the war and help the Americans. The French noticed the Americans during the battle because it was the first battle that the British surrendered in. Without this support from France, the Americans may not have been able to win. The French made the Americans much stronger, not only as a military, but they also monetarily. They sent Americans money, a navy, and supplies, which all contributed to being more prepared to fight a better fight. Being well prepared also encourages a better attitude among individuals, which in turn causes a higher morale for the soldiers. This battle came right after another battle in which they lost, so winning this battle was a great
Major General Nathanael Greene and Major General John Sullivan were two men serving under General Washington. They were both marching with Washington on December 26, 1776. Washington's plan of attack was to split his army into two groups in order to surround the Hessians. He and Major General Nathanael Greene would enter from the north, while Major General John Sullivan would enter Trenton from the south. Greene and Sullivan followed the plan, and the Hessians were completely taken by surprise. Both Generals moved into a position to surround the Hessians. Many soldiers started to abandon their artillery, so the Americans captured the abandoned artillery and used it to their advantage.
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.
Shortly after George Washington becoming chief, Britain's General Gage a discreet plan to send out British soldiers to Lexington April 19th, 1775, where their goal was to capture Colonial leaders such as John Hancock and leader Samuel Adams, then to concord, where they would have to seize all gunpowder. Fortunately friends of the Americans leaked Gage’s plan to the people. Two
The battle of Saratoga is often called the turning point of the revolutionary war. It consists of two significant battles during September and October of 1777. It was the decisive triumph for the Patriots during the American revolution. The battle of the impetus for France to enter the war against the Britain, strengthening Washington’s Continental Amy and providing much needed supplies and support.
After the battle, the Americans signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, allying them with the French. This battle changed the nature of the war because having a treaty with France caused an international conflict. This battle changed the nature of the war, and annihilated about 83 percent of Burgoyne’s infantry.
When the thirteen colonies were created, the colonies depended greatly on England in order to survive and make something out of this new land. England not only helped them economically but also in time of war against the French during The French and Indian War. It meant that England had to spend extra money helping out the colonies and also with any necessary equipment required to fight in the war. Back home, England had been fighting a war for around 100 years already, so helping out the colonies just added more to their expenses. England wanted to earn some of the money they had wasted, so England decided to raise and put new taxes on the colonies. The colonials thought some of these taxes were outrageous and began getting furious at England. This was one reason for the tension that grew between the colonies and England. Other reasons like the Boston Massacre, in which British soldiers shot and killed 5 colonials, and the Intolerable Acts, led to more anger and tension between these two. All this things eventually led to the colonies declaring war on England. I believe the most significant cause to why the colonies declared war on England was because of the
Men will always fight to defend their property and their independence. This was evident in the Battle of Lexington and Concord which was one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War and the first step towards America’s independence. This battle was fought between the sophisticated British Army, also known as the Redcoats, and local the colonist men also known as minutemen. The colonies were overmatched in size and equipment however that did not stop them from fighting for their weapons and most importantly their rights.
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 Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the major turning point of the American Revolution. As The British were attempting to separate the New England colonies from the southern colonies, this battle proved to the world that the American army was capable of fighting and defeating the British forces. The American victory, and the capture of a majority of British General Burgoyne's army, convinced the French that America was a legitimate ally in the war. The Battle of Saratoga was very important because it gave America international recognition and new war tactics, such as asymmetric warfare. As a result of this successful battle, Saratoga turned the tide of the Revolution in America's favor.
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.
People of the 21st century might question what the most pivotal events were during the American Revolution. The Declaration of Independence, which was one of these events was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson but edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. The Declaration of Independence was a celebration of the patriot’s breakaway from the British. Another event happened on Christmas day 1776, when George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River with the hopes of capturing the Hessians who were a group that King George III paid to fight or them. With luck on the troop’s side, they captured between 900 and 1,000 prisoners and took over Trenton, New Jersey. And finally, in Valley Forge, PA Washington’s troops went through harsh weather and long hours of training. By June 19th, 1778 the day they left, Washington’s troops were stronger than they were before with the help of General Baron Von Steuben. The most pivotal events in determining the outcome of the American Revolution were Declaration of Independence (June 1776), Washington’s Crossing (December1776), and Valley Forge (1777-1778).
While in London developing British operational plans for 1777, General John Burgoyne devised a campaign to take control of the Hudson River and divide the colonies in two parts. The idea was to separate the more rebellious New England colonies from the ones to the south. Thus isolated, the rebels in the north could be swiftly defeated. It was then assumed that the southern colonies would voluntarily submit, as they were perceived as less sympathetic to the cause of
In the summer of 1777 British forces wanted to invade the newly formed colonies to isolate them from the New England colonies. The British had a campaign named the Saratoga campaign. The British used this campaign to stop the American rebellion. The Battle of Bennington was apart of this campaign. This battle was fought down the Hudson river and into Lake Champlain and took place in between August 14 and August 16. The men commanding the Americans were General John Stark and General Schuyler . The men commanding the British were Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum and Major General John Burgoyne.