  the battles of saratoga (september 19 and october 7, 1777) marked the climax of the saratoga campaign giving a decisive victory to the americans over the british in the american revolutionary war. british general john burgoyne led a large invasion army up the champlain valley from canada, hoping to meet a similar force marching northward from new york city; the southern force never arrived, and burgoyne was surrounded by american forces in upstate new york. burgoyne fought two small battles to break out. they took place eighteen days apart on the same ground,  south of saratoga, new york. they both failed. trapped by superior american forces, with no relief in sight, burgoyne surrendered his entire army on october 17. his surrender, says historian edmund morgan, "was a great turning point of the war, because it won for americans the foreign assistance which was the last element needed for victory. edmund morgan, the birth of the republic: 1763-1789 (1956) pp 82-83 burgoyne's strategy to divide new england from the southern colonies had started well, but slowed due to logistical problems. he won a small tactical victory over general horatio gates and the continental army in the september 19 battle of freeman's farm at the
1777_in_New_York 1777_in_the_United_States Battles_involving_Great_Britain Battles_involving_the_United_States Battles_of_the_American_Revolutionary_War Conflicts_in_1777 New_York_in_the_American_Revolution Saratoga_County,_New_York