The Battles of Saratoga in September and October 1777 were the turning point of the American Revolution. What happened on the fields and ridgelines around this stretch of the Hudson Valley changed the war from a colonial rebellion into an international conflict. When British General John Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of nearly 6,000 men on October 17, 1777, it was the first time a major British force had been captured in open warfare, and the news rippled across Europe.
PEOPLE
KEY EVENTS
STORIES
HISTORICAL VOICE
The Charge That History Cannot Forget
Benedict Arnold had no business being on the battlefield on October 7, 1777. Horatio Gates had relieved him of command after weeks of bitter argument over strategy and credit. Arnold was confined to c...
MODERN VOICE
Walking the Ground Where the War Turned
The thing visitors notice first is how small the battlefield feels. They expect something vast, and in some ways it is — the park covers over 3,000 acres. But the critical ground, the places where the...