# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Battles of Saratoga

Part of the American Revolutionary War
Saratoga campaign

Surrender of General Burgoyne by John Trumbull, 1822
Depicted at center are General John Burgoyne surrendering to General Horatio Gates, who refused to take his sword.
The painting hangs in the United States Capitol Rotunda.

Date

September 19 and October 7, 1777

Location

42°59′56″N 73°38′15″W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.99889°N 73.63750°W

Result

Bemis Heights:

American victory

British surrender October 17

Belligerents

United States

Canadian Auxiliaries

Great Britain

Commanders and leaders

Horatio Gates
Benedict Arnold
Benjamin Lincoln
Enoch Poor
Ebenezer Learned
Daniel Morgan
James Livingston

John Burgoyne
Simon Fraser †
Baron Riedesel

Strength

9,000 (first battle)
over 12,000 (second battle)
over 15,000 (at time of surrender)

7,200 (first battle)
6,600 (second battle)

Casualties and losses

90 killed
240 wounded

440 killed
695 wounded
6,222 captured

The Battle of Saratoga is considered the turning point of the American Revolution. The battle was fought in late 1777.

It was actually two engagements: the Battle of Freeman's Farm (September 19) and the Battle of Bemis Heights (October 7). The Americans were led by General Horatio Gates. The British were led by General John Burgoyne. On October 17 Burgoyne surrendered his army of nearly 6,000 British soldiers. The American victory helped convince France to come to the aid the Continental Army. It also helped them recognize the United States.

In early 1777, General William Howe asked London to approve his plan to attack Philadelphia. This would destroy the rebellious American government. In Canada, General John Burgoyne submitted a plan to move down through New York and meet General Howe at Albany. This would divide the colonies. London approved both plans. Burgoyne began moving down the Hudson River valley from Canada. He split his force into two columns. One, under Colonel Barry St. Leger moved east from Lake Ontario down the Mohawk Valley. They attacked the Americans at Fort Stanwix. The Americans sent two parties to relieve the fort. The second, under the command of Benedict Arnold, drove the British away from the fort. St. Leger's column retreated back to Lake Ontario. Burgoyne continued south with his own column of about 7,000 British and Hessian soldiers. He was joined by about 500 native Americans, allied to the British.

Burgoyne made a proclamation to his Indians to go out and strike at the enemy. He added that women and children, or any who did not oppose them should not be killed. But men, women and children were killed. One famous incident upset all the colonists. A young woman named Jane McCrea was engaged to marry one of Burgoyne's young tory officers. Indians bringing her to Burgoyne fought over her and killed her. Burgoyne wouldn't punish the Indian who killed her. This proved he could not even protect friendly colonists. Newspapers in the colonies spread the story. As a result, a great many Americans who had been neutral took up arms against the British. The story even reached England. In the House of Commons Edmund Burke spoke out against the British policy of using Native American allies.

Battle of Freeman's Farm

Howe had captured Philadelphia. But it took so long he did not send any forces north to support Burgoyne. On September 19 Burgoyne attacked the Americans who were entrenched on Bemis Heights near Saratoga. He again fought Americans at Freeman's Farm. This time it was American riflemen under the command of Daniel Morgan. American Marksman killed a large number of British and Hessian officers. This was intended to cause confusion among the British forces. Burgoyne lost about 600 casualties. He claimed victory although he was still held in place by the Americans.

Battle of Bemis Heights

Burgoyne tried and failed to attack the Americans again on October 7. But the Americans held out against him. A counterattack led by Benedict Arnold pushed the British back further until they finally retreated back to Saratoga. This battle cost Burgoyne another 600 casualties. The American losses were less than 150. Burgoyne's army was now surrounded by a much larger and growing American army. On October 13, 1777 Burgoyne asked for a Ceasefire. Horatio Gates, the American commander asked for Burgoyne's surrender. But Burgoyne stalled and did not give an answer. The terms given by Gates were harsh. Finally Gates offered better terms. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered.

British surrender

Burgoyne surrendered his whole army of 5,752. He gave up 42 cannons, 7,000 muskets and all his supplies. Officers were separated from their men and placed on parole. Unlike their men they were allowed to keep their pistols. Gates invited Burgoyne to dine with him. The two men were friendly. Each toasted the other's leader. The British and Hessian soldiers were marched to Boston. Per the agreement they were to return to England on their promise not to fight again. While some did return to England, Congress changed the terms. Many were sent to prisons in the colonies to wait out the war.

Interesting facts about the Battle of Saratoga

Benedict Arnold was a hero at the Battles of Saratoga, but later became a spy for the British.

440 British and 90 American soldiers died during both battles.

The battles at Saratoga were a turning point in the war because France felt confident supporting the Americans after they won. They formed an alliance with America in 1778.

To recognize the victory at Saratoga George Washington proclaimed that the first national Thanksgiving day would be celebrated on December 18, 1777.

Images for kids

In Spanish: Batalla de Saratoga para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Battle of Yorktown

Part of the Yorktown Campaign
Part of the American Revolutionary War

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, depicts the British surrendering to Benjamin Lincoln, flanked by French (left) and American troops. Oil on canvas, 1820.

Belligerents

United States

France

Great Britain

Commanders and leaders

George Washington
Benjamin Lincoln
Henry Knox
Alexander Hamilton
Marquis de Lafayette
Baron von Steuben
Thomas Nelson
Moses Hazen
Comte de Rochambeau
Comte d'Aboville
Marquis de Choisy

Comte de Grasse

Lord Cornwallis
Charles O'Hara
Banastre Tarleton
Robert Abercromby
Thomas Dundas
Thomas Symonds
Matthias von Fuchs

August Voit

Strength

Americans: 8,000-9,000 men

5,000-5,900 regular troops

3,000-3,100 militia (not engaged)

Total: 15,500-17,800 (fewer engaged)

British: 7,000+
German: Fewer than 3,000

Total: 9,000-10,000

Casualties and losses

88 killed
301 wounded

142-309 killed;
326-595 wounded prisoners;
7,416-7,685 captured

The Battle of Yorktown, also called the Siege of Yorktown, fought from September 28 to October 19, 1781. It is considered the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Army, led by General George Washington, won a decisive victory against the British Army, led by General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis was forced to surrender after being surrounded by Washington's army.

The Americans were assisted by the French, led by the Comte de Rochambeau. The battle took place in Yorktown, Virginia, near the York River. After the French fleet defeated a British fleet, Cornwallis was cut off and had to surrender to the French and the Continental Army. Eventually, it led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, two years later.

Background

British General Lord Cornwallis had fought against the Americans in 1776 and 1777. He was convinced the Americans could not defeat a British army in the field. In 1778 he returned to England to care for his wife who died in February of 1779. After a few months he returned to America to continue the fight. While he was gone, there was a change in British strategy. Before, the British had concentrated on defeating and destroying Washington's army. Now, since the French had joined the Americans, it was no longer just a rebellion but a world war. Earlier, the French had been helping the Americans with loans and war supplies. Now France and Spain were fighting against the British, who had to move troops from North America to defend other places. The new strategy was to win back the Southern colonies beginning with Georgia. The British thought that as many as 50 percent of the population in the South was loyal to Britain. They would start with Georgia and move north through The Carolinas to the Virginia Colony.

On his arrival in New York City, Cornwallis was made second-in-command to General Henry Clinton. The two generals did not trust each other. Clinton was convinced Washington would attack him in New York. He was afraid of sending troops home and having to depend more on Loyalist militia. Cornwallis was ready to go ahead with what troops he had. Clinton was suspicious Cornwallis' return from England was to get a command for himself. In fact, Cornwallis had secured a commission to replace Clinton if Clinton repeated his threats to resign.

Clinton sent Cornwallis south to recapture Charleston, South Carolina following the new plan. Soon, Cornwallis began acting independently of Clinton, who stayed safe in New York City. Cornwallis wasn't going to play it safe and advance by careful steps as he had been instructed. When he saw a chance to attack the new patriot army under Major General Horatio Gates, he did so without orders nearly wiping out the Americans.

Cornwallis moved carelessly. He left American units, such as the one led by Francis Marion (called the "Swamp Fox"), in his rear. The American general Nathanael Greene noticed this right away. He broke up his command into smaller units in order to plague Cornwallis. Finally the two armies met at the Battle of Guilford Court House, which neither army won. During this time Cornwallis was not sending messages to Clinton telling him where he was. After Guilford Court House, Cornwallis moved to the coast of North Carolina to rest his men. Then, again without orders, he decided to march north to Virginia. Frustrated by this, Clinton sent Cornwallis a number of contradictory messages. Most of them were worded as suggestions rather than orders. But he did order Cornwallis to find a defensible position. This was so he could be evacuated by the Royal Navy, possibly to Philadelphia. Cornwallis decided on the community of Yorktown and his men started building defenses there in August of 1781 to wait for the Navy.

In New York, Washington learned that the French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse was sailing north from the West Indies. Rochambeau convinced Washington they could attack and defeat Cornwallis. The two commanders began marching south to meet de Grasse's 27 ships and 3,200 troops. Clinton learned of this and sent a British naval fleet to the Chesapeake Bay to cut them off. But the French and Americans arrived first. In the Battle of the Chesapeake the French navy forced the British ships back to New York City. Clinton warned Cornwallis in early September he would soon be facing American and French troops but promised him reinforcements by sea. Clinton had not yet learned of the French naval victory and did not know he could not rescue Cornwallis by sea. By the end of September, Washington and Rochambeau had surrounded Yorktown. Cornwallis received another message in late September from Clinton telling him help was on the way. Cornwallis was misled again and thought he only had to hold out for a few days.

The Siege of Yorktown

Just after the clash between the French and British Fleets, a smaller French squadron carrying the French army's siege artillery slipped into the Chesapeake. Now the French and Americans had bigger guns than Cornwallis had behind his earthen fortifications.

Marching out of Williamsburg, Virginia the Americans and French arrived on September 28, 1781 at Yorktown. They surrounded the earthworks in a Semicircle with the York River completing the circle. Cornwallis made the first move, abandoning his outer works made up of four redoubts. Washington and Rochambeau thought this was a mistake. They sent troops to occupy the outer earthworks.

The Americans and French began setting up their siege operations on September 30, first on the east side. By October 9, they were close enough to begin the bombardment. The Americans and French stormed two of the redoubts on October 14, forcing the British back even further. By that time it became obvious the British could not hold out much longer. On October 16, the British attacked two of the redoubts they had abandoned and spiked the guns. At the same time Cornwallis attempted to slip past the guards to Gloucester (now Gloucester Point, Virginia) across the river but was turned back by a storm.

Finally, with no sign of relief as promised by Clinton, Cornwallis' army of 6,000 soldiers surrendered.

The casualties were about 500 British, 200 French and 80 Americans. Captured were 240 artillery pieces, a large supply of small arms and ammunition, plus equipment. General Cornwallis did not attend the surrender, claiming to be sick, he sent General Charles O'Hara to surrender for him. O'Hara first tried to surrender to Comte de Rochambeau. Rochambeau directed him to surrender to General Washington. In turn, Washington directed him to surrender to General Benjamin Lincoln who accepted O'Hara's sword.

As the British stacked their guns marching out of the fortress, their band played "The World Turned Upside Down". When Lord North, the British Prime Minister, received news of the surrender he cried out "Oh God, it is all over!"

The battles of Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781 were two major turning points in the Revolutionary war. Both were American victories over the British, but with very different results. The British defeat at Saratoga prolonged the war, while the battle at Yorktown foretold its end. Saratoga convinced the French to join the Americans against the British. Yorktown was a joint victory by the French and the Americans over the British. France and her allies continued to fight hard for two more years, but there was little fighting anymore on the American continent. The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the war.

Yorktown Victory Monument

Five days after the British surrendered, Congress passed a resolution agreeing to erect a structure dedicated to commemorating those who participated in the battle. The government began building the monument in 1881.

Interesting facts about the Battle of Yorktown

60 French died and 194 were injured. 28 Americans died and 107 were wounded. 156 British were killed and 326 were wounded with 70 missing.

The battle lasted around 20 days.

George Washington refused to accept the Tenth Article of the Yorktown Articles of Capitulation (which are articles outlining the terms and conditions of surrender), which granted immunity to American Loyalists

A lot of Cornwallis's army suffered from Malaria due to the marshlands of eastern Virginia during the time. At the time of surrender a lot of soldiers couldn't fight because of this.

Cornwallis refused to go to the surrender ceremony saying he was sick. Instead, Brigadier General Charles O'Hara led the British army onto the field.

The siege of Yorktown is also known in some German historiographies as "die deutsche Schlacht" ("the German battle"), because Germans played significant roles in all three armies, accounting for roughly one third of all forces involved.

Images for kids

In Spanish: Batalla de Yorktown (1781) para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Battle of Princeton was a battle during the American Revolution. It was fought in January of 1777 near Princeton, New Jersey. The battle came a week after the Battle of Trenton, where General George Washington had led the Continental Army to a surprise victory over the British.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn Battle of Long Island facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Yorktown major event ending the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution for Kids: Battle of Cowpens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Cowpens during the Revolutionary War including the commanders, where it was fought, before the battle, results, and interesting facts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

Activities

Take a ten question quiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.
Learn more about the Revolutionary War:

Works Cited

History >> American Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the Battles of Saratoga at Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights. Major event in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution for Kids: Battle of Germantown

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Germantown during the Revolutionary War including the commanders, where it was fought, before the battle, results, and interesting facts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution for Kids: Crossing the Delaware

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Crossing the Delaware major event in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution for Kids: Battle of Long Island

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Long Island, New York during the Revolutionary War including the commanders, where it was fought, before the battle, results, and interesting facts.