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Battles of Lexington and Concord Facts for Kids

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Learn Battles of Lexington and Concord facts for kids

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History >> American Revolution

The Battles of Saratoga were a series of battles that culminated in the Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of British General John Burgoyne. This decisive victory by the Americans was a turning point of the Revolutionary War.

The Leaders

The main leader for the British was General John Burgoyne. He had the nickname "Gentleman Johnny".

The Americans were led by Major General Horatio Gates as well as Generals Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Lincoln. Other key commanders included Colonel Daniel Morgan and General Enoch Poor.

General Horatio Gates
by Gilbert Stuart

General General John Burgoyne
by Joshua Reynolds

Leading up to the Battles

British General Burgoyne had come up with a plan to defeat the American colonies. He would split the colonies in two along the Hudson River. With the colonies divided, he was sure they could not stand.

Burgoyne was to lead his army south from Lake Champlain to Albany, New York. At the same time General Howe was to advance north along the Hudson River. They would meet at Albany.

Burgoyne and his army successfully advanced south. They first recaptured Fort Ticonderoga from the Americans then proceeded to march south. General Howe, however, had other plans. Instead of heading north to Albany, he headed east to take Philadelphia. Burgoyne was on his own.

Bennington

As the British continued south, the Americans harassed them along the way. They cut down trees to block the roads and took shots at the soldiers from the forests. Burgoyne's progress was slow and the British began to run out of food. Burgoyne sent some of his soldiers to Bennington, Vermont to find food and horses. However, Bennington was guarded by American General John Stark. They surrounded the British troops and captured around 500 soldiers. It was a decisive victory for the Americans and weakened the British forces.

Map of the Battles of Saratoga
Click picture to see larger version

The Battle of Freeman's Farm

The first battle of Saratoga took place on September 19, 1777 on the farmland of British loyalist John Freeman. Daniel Morgan led 500 sharpshooters to the field where they saw the British advancing. They were able to take out a number of officers before the British began to attack. At the end of the battle the British gained control of the field, but they had suffered 600 casualties, twice as many as the Americans.

The Battle of Bemis Heights

After the Battle of Freeman's Farm the Americans set up their defenses at Bemis Heights. More militia men arrived and the American forces continued to grow. On October 7, 1777 the British attacked. Their attack failed miserably and they were defeated by the Americans. British casualties mounted to nearly 600 men and General Burgoyne was forced to retreat.

The Americans under General Gates pursued the British army. Within days, they had them surrounded. The British surrendered on October 17, 1777.

Surrender of General Burgoyne
Source: U.S. Federal Government

Results

The Battles of Saratoga and the surrender of the British army under General Burgoyne was one of the major turning points of the Revolutionary War. The Americans morale was boosted and the country now felt it could win the war. Just as important to the war, the French decided to support the Americans with military aid.

Interesting Facts About the Battles of Saratoga

Benedict Arnold did not get along with General Gates. At one point they had a heated argument and Gates relieved Arnold of his command.

George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving on December 18, 1777 to celebrate the victory over the British at Saratoga.

Despite being relieved of his command, Benedict Arnold entered the battle at Saratoga. He was injured when his horse was shot and fell on his leg.

The American ranks swelled from 9,000 soldiers at the first battle to over 15,000 by the time the British surrendered. The British army, on the other hand, shrunk from 7,200 at the first battle to around 6,600 at the second battle.

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Works Cited

History >> American Revolution

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Learn about the Battles of Saratoga at Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights. Major event in the American Revolutionary War.

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The Siege of Yorktown ended the fighting in the American Revolution. During the siege, American and French forces, on land and at sea, trapped a major British army on a peninsula (a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides) at Yorktown, Virginia. The siege forced the British army to surrender. This effectively guaranteed that the American colonies would win their independence from Great Britain.

Charles Cornwallis was the British commander in the southern colonies. In May 1781 he began to move his army from North Carolina through Virginia. He reached Yorktown in July. Cornwallis had about 7,500 men at Yorktown. The Americans had only about 4,500 troops in the region. They were led by the marquis de Lafayette and Frederick William Steuben. General George Washington, the American commander in chief, ordered Lafayette to block any possible British escape from Yorktown by land.

Meanwhile, 4,000 French soldiers joined Washington's 2,500 troops in New York. Most of this combined force then moved south and met up with a fleet of 24 French ships. These ships transported the troops to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they joined Lafayette's siege. The fleet maintained a sea blockade of Cornwallis's army.

Throughout early October, French and American forces overtook many of the British army's positions at Yorktown. The British were surrounded and running out of food. Cornwallis surrendered his entire army on October 19, 1781.

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The Siege of Yorktown ended the fighting in the American Revolution. During the siege, American and French forces, on land and at sea, trapped a major British army on a peninsula (a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides) at Yorktown, Virginia. The siege forced the British army to surrender.