The map above shows the British battle plan in the early stage of the revolution.
As shown by the arrows in upstate New York the British planned to split the state
along the Hudson River Valley isolating the revolution. At the top of the bigger
southern New York arrow is the town of Saratoga, showing direct correlation
between the battle atSaratoga and the halting of the British advance.
As shown by the arrows in upstate New York the British planned to split the state
along the Hudson River Valley isolating the revolution. At the top of the bigger
southern New York arrow is the town of Saratoga, showing direct correlation
between the battle atSaratoga and the halting of the British advance.
The isolation of the northern New England colonies was an effective plan at preventing a widespread revolution, but the British were stopped in their tracks at the Battle of Saratoga. British General John Burgoyne was ordered to enter New York and take control of the Hudson River Valley and Lake Champlain in early 1777 by British high command. (3) This strategy was an effort to cut off the New England states from the lower half of the newly formed nation, which in turn would hopefully stem the tide of revolution and patriotism. Burgoyne began his march into upstate New York with around 8000 men, and it seemed that he was going to accomplish his goal of capturing the valley and lake. (4) The American troops in the area made up of the Continental Army and local militia was commanded by General Horatio Gates. This patriot army knew they had to stop the advancing British before they isolated New England and squashed all hopes of a successful revolution. The inevitable clash came at Saratoga, and the crucial victory singlehandedly prevented the isolation of the New England region. For example, after the battle, Burgoyne's troops were heavily weakened and disheartened. They were forced to make a hasty retreat, but were soon surrounded by the Americans. Over 5800 British redcoats and German mercenaries were captured, ending the existence of Burgoyne's army. (5) The obliteration or capturing of the troops left the door wide open for revolution to spread throughout the nation. The New England colonies were safe to fight another day due to the American actions at Saratoga. This ability to fight turned the Revolution in favor of the Patriots, for the British battle plan had failed. The two-part battle at Saratoga stopped the isolation of the heart of the Patriot movement, and therefore the Patriots of New England would live another day to turn the tide of the war.
Primary Source:
"There are few situations in a military life exposed to more personal hazard than I have lately undergone. I have been surrounded with enemies, ill-treated by pretended friends, abandoned by a considerable part of my own army, totally unassisted by Sir William Howe.... Under perpetual fire, and exhausted with laborious days, and 16 almost sleepless nights, without change of clothes, or other covering than the sky. I have been with my army within the jaws of famine; shot through my hat and waistcoat, my nearest friends killed round me; and from these combined misfortunes and escapes, I imagine I am reserved to stand a war with ministers who will always lay the blame upon the employed who miscarries.
In all these complicated anxieties, believe me, my dear girls, my heart has a large space filled with you; and I will bring it home, when God shall permit, as replete with affection as when I left you."
In all these complicated anxieties, believe me, my dear girls, my heart has a large space filled with you; and I will bring it home, when God shall permit, as replete with affection as when I left you."
- Letter from General John Burgoyne to his nieces, Albany, 20 October 1777
This quote was a letter from General John Burgoyne to his nieces written shortly after his defeat at Saratoga. The quote describes in great detail the harsh defeat he and his troops faced at Saratoga. In it, Burgoyne describes the many deaths of the British soldiers, the sleepless nights, the continuing firestorm from the Americans, and the feeling of abandonment after Howe left him unsupported in New York. This quote exemplifies the pounding that the British army took, and the utter demoralization that they felt. It shows how the Americans at Saratoga decimated the British New York campaign, stopping the annihilation of the Revolution at its core, therefore allowing the Americans to take the upper hand in the fight for independence.
1. "Battle of Saratoga," in Gale US History in Context (Gale), [Page 1], accessed March 30, 2014, http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindowfailOver&query=&prodId=UHIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=mlin_s_dux&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=UHIC%3AWHIC&action=e&catId=&activity&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3446700576.
2. "Battle of Saratoga," in Gale US History in Context, [Page 1].
3. "Battle of Saratoga," in Gale US History in Context, [Page 1].
4. Don Nardo, The Battle of Saratoga (Minneapolis, Minn.: Compass Point Books, 2008), [Page 4].
5. Nardo, The Battle of Saratoga, [Page 41].