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The Great Turning Point of The American Revolution
The Battle of Saratoga and its extensive ramifications
At the end of 1777, the British were looking for a definitive way to put down the American Revolution for good. The upstart Americans had failed in an ambitious invasion of Canada and had left themselves open to a broad counterattack. The British believed the best way to strike a decisive blow was to seize the city of Albany, New York.
The British were already in control of New York City (and would be until the end of the war), and securing Albany and the surrounding roads would have essentially isolated New England from the rest of the country. The British believed that the heart of the revolution beat within New England, and if they could isolate the region, they could tamp out the flames of rebellion. With New England surrounded, General Howe would be free to continue to pursue and hopefully trap and defeat General George Washington which would essentially end the war.
In order to achieve their goals, the British hatched a convoluted three-pronged campaign. Lieutenant General John Burgoyne was to march southward from Quebec straight into the Hudson Valley, where he would meet up with two other British armies for a grand envelopment of Albany.
