1 The Battle of Saratoga and the French Alliance1777: Turning Point of the War

2 When the English colonies in North America took the drastic step of taking up arms against their mother country, the odds were stacked heavily against them. At the time, Great Britain was the most powerful nation in the world. It had a massive and experienced army and navy.

3 How could a disorganized collection of colonial militias hope to defeat a proud and ancient empire? People at the time laughed at the idea. And yet—that group of colonies, with little in the way of supplies and even, at times, food, did manage to defeat the world’s most powerful nation. The story of that astonishing victory is one of bravery, dedication, and determination.

4 The Battle of Saratoga was the pivotal point at which the colonists’ fortunes began to tip from certain defeat to eventual triumph.

5 British planning for the Battle of Saratoga began with the idea that the New England colonies were the center of the rebellion. The British believed that by cutting New England off from the rest of the colonies, they could end the war.

6 “Gentleman Johnny” BurgoyneBritish General His plan was to cut off New England from the rest of the American colonies by taking Albany, New York

7 An attack from 3 directionsGeneral Burgoyne with more than 7,000 men would move in from Canada south along the Hudson River Colonel St. Leger would move from the west to Albany Generals Howe and Clinton would attack from the south Goal: Distract George Washington and his men from the real attack on Albany.

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9 After attacking Albany…Burgoyne would march down the Hudson river Valley and join forces with the British in New York City. With the Hudson River under British control, the Americans would not be able to get supplies from New England, dividing the Industrial North from the agricultural South

10 At first, his plan seemed to go wellAt first, his plan seemed to go well. Burgoyne’s army captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York. The American Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured Fort Ticonderoga early in the war (1775).

11 Henry Knox (Chief of Artillery) transported these cannons to BostonHenry Knox (Chief of Artillery) transported these cannons to Boston. Ticonderoga’s cannons were instrumental in allowing the Americans to get control of Boston. With cannons to defend the city, the British were forced to evacuate Boston in 1776.

12 But soon, Burgoyne ran into troubleBut soon, Burgoyne ran into trouble. His army had to cut its way through thick forests. It had to cross swamps and streams. It had to build nearly 40 bridges along the way. His men became weak and sick. It took 24 days to go 23 miles.

13 Then some of his Indian allies scalped an American woman (Jane McCrea)Then some of his Indian allies scalped an American woman (Jane McCrea). Many Americans in New York who had been for the British now turned against them.

14 Meanwhile… As the British were marching toward Albany, the Americans were busy, too. Troops under the command of General Horatio Gates moved to a point north of Albany. There, they chose a high point overlooking a bend in the Hudson River called Bemis Heights and began fortifying their position.

15 The Americans placed 22 cannons on the heights and build strong walls behind them. They also constructed walls in the lowlands along the river. From their high position, the Americans could easily fire on the British if they marched along the river road to Albany.

16 “I’m not coming.” –St. LegerBurgoyne was forced to make some adjustments to his original plan. He had expected help from the British troops coming from the west and the south, but: “Yeah...I’m going to Philadelphia to lead George Washington away from New York. He’s close to NY and I’m nervous.” --Howe “I’m not coming.” –St. Leger

17 It seemed Burgoyne would have to face the American forces with very little help. Little did he know that those forces were growing daily, as calls for reinforcements were answered by more and more Americans eager to fight for liberty.

18 Then Burgoyne made a bad mistakeThen Burgoyne made a bad mistake. He sent about 700 of his Hessian soldiers to Vermont to grab food and horses for his men. At Bennington they were attacked by untrained American soldiers. Almost all of the Hessians were killed or captured. Many of the soldiers sent to help them were also lost. In all, Burgoyne lost about 900 men.

19 The attackers: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain BoysThe attackers: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization in New Hampshire.

20 As the British neared Bemis Heights on September 19,1777, American forces waited on their high ground. The British marched out of a forest into the open farm fields of a man named John Freeman. Up ahead, Americans with fur caps and long rifles lay in wait, hidden among the trees.

21 Suddenly, there was a crack of American riflesSuddenly, there was a crack of American rifles. Their main targets were British officers. Many were killed. British gunners were picked off before they could load their cannons.

22 The British fled back to the woodsThe British fled back to the woods. When the Americans charged them, the British drove them back. For three hours, the two armies fought back and forth across a field. In the end, the British triumphed when the Americans pulled back, but the British had lost more than 600 men.

23 “Sorry, Burgoyne. I can’t come.”Expecting help to arrive from General Clinton within weeks, Burgoyne’s forces dug in and began building their own defensive walls. However, rather than continuing to join Burgoyne’s forces, General Clinton was ordered to return to New York City. In the meantime, the American forces on the heights had reached 13,000 men. “Sorry, Burgoyne. I can’t come.”

24 Then came the battle that turned the fortunes of the war toward the Americans. On October 7th, Burgoyne sent some 1,500 men on a mission to find food and scout out the American position. Winter was coming. With supplies running short, Burgoyne had been forced to put his men on half-rations.

25 The British forces were detected by Americans, and the resulting battle lasted all day. An American general named Benedict Arnold was the hero of the day. Riding horse-back, he led three charges against the British lines.

26 On one charge, British troops under young General Simon Fraser held their own. “Pick off that Fraser!” Arnold shouted. “Get him and the day is won!” A moment later a sharpshooter aimed his rifle and fired. Fraser fell from his horse, badly wounded. His troops fell back. Soon, Arnold also fell from his horse with a bullet wound in his leg. He was carried from the field.

27 The Americans won the day. The British were forced to retreatThe Americans won the day. The British were forced to retreat. They did not get far. Travel was slow, because a cold rain had been falling for days, and the roads had turned into muddy traps that buried wagon wheels and slowed horses.

28 Burgoyne’s bleeding, starving army dragged away toward Saratoga, where American forces waited. Within two days, General Gates’s troops had completely surrounded the British. Burgoyne had no choice but to admit defeat.

29 On October 17, 1777 Burgoyne surrendered his army of more than 5,000 British and Hessian troops. As Burgoyne handed his sword to the conquering American general he said, “The fortunes of war have made me your prisoner.” Gates graciously replied, “I shall always be ready to testify that it was through no fault of your excellency.”

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31 The victory was the most important the Americans had won so farThe victory was the most important the Americans had won so far. Word of this major victory quickly spread through the colonies. With the news came a blossoming hope that the war could actually be won. With this hope came renewed enthusiasm for continuing the fight against the British.

32 It took some time for the news of this great victory to reach EuropeIt took some time for the news of this great victory to reach Europe. Once the news made its way across the ocean, people in France began to believe in this American Revolution taking place so many miles away.

33 Because the American rebels had forced the mighty British, France’s old enemy, to surrender at Saratoga, the French decided to join the war on the side of the Americans.

34 The alliance with France was negotiated by Benjamin Franklin.

35 In this Treaty of Alliance, France agreed to recognize the government of the United States and its independence from England. It also stated that France would provide the American Army with supplies, weapons, officers, soldiers, a navy, and money. Most importantly, France would declare war on England.

36 England must now fight two wardsEngland must now fight two wards. One in America and the other in England. Because of this, England will be forced to bring many of its soldiers in America back to England to defend the “Mother Country.”

37 Soon after hearing of the French alliance, Spain and the Netherlands sided with the Americans. Spain, an ally of France, also agrees to support the United States with weapons, money, supplies, and officers. “Yeah we’ll help, too,”

38 Now the Americans had powerful allies on their side, and though the war was far from over, it was only a matter of time before freedom would reign.