NY, USA
Burgoyne's Surrender
October 17, 1777
On October 17, 1777, General John Burgoyne formally surrendered his army of approximately 5,800 troops to Horatio Gates at Saratoga. The terms, negotiated as a "convention" rather than a surrender to preserve British dignity, stipulated that the captured troops would be marched to Boston and shipped back to England on parole.
Congress later voided parts of the convention, and the "Convention Army" spent years in captivity. But the immediate impact was diplomatic: news of the surrender reached Paris in early December and convinced France to recognize American independence and enter the war as an ally. The surrender at Saratoga was the single most consequential event of the Revolution.
People Involved
Commander of American forces at Saratoga whose cautious defensive strategy, combined with the aggressive field tactics of his subordinates, produced the most consequential American victory of the war.
British commander who led the northern invasion from Canada, expecting to split the colonies along the Hudson. His surrender of nearly 6,000 troops at Saratoga was the worst British defeat of the war and triggered French entry into the conflict.