Battle of Saratoga
Research Paper

November 26, 2013 The Battle of Saratoga was a very interesting battle. This battle was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. This is personally one of my favorite battles during the Revolutionary war. The way the soldiers fought and the length of the battle is brilliant. There were many casualties on both sides. I think this battle was a great advantage for the Americans. This battle showed the French that Americans have a chance on winning the war. This battle was a morale booster for the Americans. But I don’t want to ruin the story for you, so let me tell you all about the Battle of Saratoga.
When?
The Battle of Saratoga took place during the American Revolutionary War. This battle lasted for eighteen days, from September 19th to October 7th in 1777. There were two battles that made the Battle of Saratoga; the Battle of Freeman’s Farm and the Battle of Bemis Height’s. This was during the time that Americans fought for independence from Britain. There were many battles going on at around the same time this battle was happening. One battle during this battle would be the Battle of Brandywine Creek. General Washington was in charge of the American Army during the battle. Both sides suffered much causality during the Battle of Brandywine Creek. The Battle of Saratoga fits into the timeframe because this was battle the turning point for the Americans. The period of history had a direct impact on this battle because many European countries thought that America was never going to win the war, but when we won this battle, France thought we had a fighting chance. Where? The American Revolutionary War took place in the original 13 colonies. The Battle of Saratoga took place south of Saratoga, New York. The place where they fought was full of ravines and hillocks. The geographical area was what gave the American the upper hand. Since most of the Americans were small time farmers who already knew the geography, they had the advantage. During the battle, the farmers would go prone on top of a hill above the all of the deep bushes and wait for the enemy. During the battle, the British would try to march through the thick bushes and when they were caught in between the bushes, the farmers would the trapped soldiers. Also, when the British traveled through the area, they would travel with a wagon full of supplies. Since the area had many ravines, the wagon operator had no idea on how to navigate around the ravine. So when the British tried to make their way around the ravine, the wagon and the troops would get separated. Thus letting the American capture the wagon, stealing all of the necessary supplies, and burning the rest.
Who?
The two main sides of the Battle of Saratoga were the American and the British. Generals that were in charge for the American side were Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Lincoln, Enoch Poor, Ebenezer Learned, Daniel Morgan. The General’s for the British were John Burgoyne, Simon Fraser, and F.A Riedesel. There are two specific generals I would to talk about for the Americans are; Horatio Gates and Philp Schuyler. Horatio Gates was a retired British soldier who was mainly in charge of the Continental Army in the Battle of Saratoga. Gates also served in the Seven Years War. Schuyler was a general and a United States Senator. Schuyler is from New York. These two did not get along very well they would argue over who would command what. During the first battle (The Battle of Freeman’s Farm) they argued who would be in charge of the army. Eventually, Gates was chosen to lead the army into battle. Gates was also in charge of the second battle (the Battle of Bemis Heights). Horatio Gates was significant to this event because he led the Americans to victory in this battle. I would also like to talk about another general during the Battle of Saratoga; General Benedict Arnold.