What is the significance of the american victory at saratoga

In , British strategy called for a three-pronged attack on New York, with three separate armies converging near Albany. For British general John Burgoyne, moving south from Canada with 7, men, the Hudson River Valley became the critical route for the invasion.

General Horatio Gates and his American soldiers had built formidable defenses on Bemis Heights, just south of Saratoga overlooking the Hudson. While the British held off the Americans, their losses were great. Burgoyne launched a second, unsuccessful attack on the Americans at Bemis Heights on October 7.

With no means of escape, Burgoyne eventually surrendered to Gates on October The victory persuaded France to sign a treaty with the United States against Britain. He is supported by Gen. Benedict Arnold and by Col. Daniel Morgan , leader of Virginia riflemen. To disrupt the British advance south, Gates has his troops erect defenses on the crest of Bemis Heights, a series of bluffs from which both the Hudson River and the road can be seen.

From there, American artillery will have the range to hit both the river and the road. In order to attack, the British will have to use the road, as the forest and vegetation to the east are too dense to permit effective troop movements. The Americans also erect a fortified wall a little less than a mile from Bemis Heights. The wall extends about three-quarters of a mile, creating a line shaped like a large "L".

Twenty-two cannons are placed behind this defense, providing the Americans with ample artillery cover. September Burgoyne divides his army, numbering about 7,, into three columns. He wants to use each column to probe American defenses. It is a hotly contested fight, with the field changing hands several times. By evening, the British, reinforced by German Hessians, hold the field, but the action has blunted their forward motion. Having lost almost troops and expecting to be reinforced by Gen.

Until Clinton relieves them, British forces are literally trapped in the New York wilderness with scant supplies.

Food stores dwindle, and the troops are reduced to half-rations. While the British remain stuck, the American army is replenished and grows to 13, strong. Before the second battle occurred, Burgoyne waited in vain for reinforcements, and by October 7, concluding he wait no longer, he launched a second attack. This time, the American forces held against the British assault and were able to counterattack to regain any lost ground. Burgoyne and his troops, defeated, began a march to the town of Saratoga where they entrenched themselves once again in hopes of escaping.

Within a fortnight, however, Gates's army had surrounded them and forced them to surrender. Following the American victory, morale among American troops was high.

With Burgoyne's surrender of his entire army to Gates, the Americans scored a decisive victory that finally persuaded the French to sign a treaty allying with the United States against Britain, France's traditional enemy. The Spanish and later the Dutch provided support as well, eager to seize the opportunity to weaken their British rival. In the aftermath of his victory at Saratoga, General Gates enjoyed widespread popular support and some campaigned behind the scenes to have him replace Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

In an episode that became known as the " Conway Cabal ," Gates's supporters began to conspire against Washington, but their plot was discovered when a drunken officer, Colonel James Wilkinson, stated publicly that General Thomas Conway had praised Gates as the savior of the Revolution while at the same time disparaging Washington. Photo Credit: SaratogaPhotographer. Burgoyne again began his advance south, but was stopped about 10 miles below Saratoga.

A militia of sharpshooters from Virginia harassed the British, while other colonist forces aggressively charged into battle with them. Burgoyne lost two men for every one on the American side. The second battle, the Battle of Bemis Heights, occurred on October 7, when Burgoyne determined to break free from the encircling colonial forces and drive them from the field.

The British troops and their German allies were devastated, and nearly lost their entrenched positions. Fighting on horseback, Benedict Arnold, received a wound in his leg during this battle; his contribution to the battle is commemorated by a statue of his boot, with no other reference to the hero turned traitor.

The Battle of Saratoga was an extensive and punishing conflict and a key victory for the Americans in the Revolutionary War.

The American victory secured critical financial support from the French. British general Henry Clinton marched north from New York and could have helped Burgoyne turn the tide at Saratoga, but he never arrived. Instead, he seized a couple of forts, cut the chain that had stopped the Royal Navy from sailing up the Hudson, and returned to the garrison.

On October 7, another battle with the Americans forced Burgoyne to withdraw to Saratoga. Gates pursued and surrounded the British, cutting off escape. Ten days later, the redcoats and their allies surrendered their arms, agreeing to return to England for the duration of the war. Gates had captured fifty-eight hundred prisoners, twenty-seven field pieces, and five thousand small arms, as well as ammunition and supplies.

It was the most significant American victory in the war to date. Saratoga provided the French with the confidence to sign treaties of alliance and trade with the Americans and join the war against the British. The new allies agreed they would continue the war until the colonies were independent, and neither would make a separate peace with Britain.

That spring, the first French fleet sailed to North America, while French armies under the Comte de Rochambeau and volunteers such as the Marquis de Lafayette fought alongside the Continental Army. The French alliance was of critical importance to the American war effort and brought critical financial support and essential war material to the fledgling American army. With their corps of trained engineers, navy, and marines, the French made significant contributions to the cause.

All the following were factors in securing French aid to the Americans during the Revolution except. Which of the following was not a result of the French alliance during the American Revolution? Which of the following best describes the causal link between the America victory at Saratoga and French military aid to Americans?