How Important was the Battle of Saratoga?

The American Revolution was the most important war ever fought in American history. We would not have the rights we have today without the freedoms given to us by gaining our independence. The Battle of Saratoga was essential for the Colonies because the victory there brought France into the war, allowed us to win the Battle of Yorktown, and provided the Colonies with important naval support.

The Battle of Saratoga took place in upper New York with no decisive winner at the start because at the beginning of the battle, both sides were well rested. In the middle of the battle, the British began running low on supplies and were tired from fighting for every inch of ground. The Colonial army took advantage of this and attacked with 13,000 men gaining ground and pushing the British back.

The Breymann Redoubt was an important position on the other side of the battle of Saratoga. General Benedict Arnold was trying to take it in hopes of besieging the British. The army of 200 German soldiers was not able to repel the 1,300 man army from the Colonies. In the end of the battle, with no way out, the British surrendered.

That major victory at Saratoga was noted favorably in France. The French had been giving us financial and military support since 1776. According to the website History is Fun they donated “30,000 muskets, 3,000 tents, 200 pieces of artillery, and clothing for 30,000 soldiers” between 1776–1777, however they never before put troops on the ground or used their navy. The French demanded that in order for them to join the war, the Colonies had to declare independence and prove they could hold their own against the British. When the French heard about the surrender at Saratoga this criteria was met. France and the Colonies signed two treaties called the Treaty of Alliance and Amity and the Commerce. The treaties stated that the Colonies and France would be allies through any trial. Now with France in the war and committing troops on the ground and using their navy, there were more men to move around, defend, and make better attacks.

Since the Seven Year War, the French had built their navy to one of the strongest at the time. Their first shipment to the Colonies included 4,000 soldiers and 16 ships.

The Battle of Yorktown was the second most important battle in the war, but it might have never happened if it weren’t for the French. The French decided that the best strategy was to attack and try to drive General Cornwallis’s army from their point in upper Virginia to Lower Virginia, but George Washington wanted to attack New York, which was the trading hub of the Colonies. In the end the French convinced him that he was wrong. The French suggestion to attack Virginia proved that they were right.

The Battle of Yorktown was the best example of the French and the Colonial armies coordinating to besiege Cornwallis’s army. They had the French Army blocking the escape from the west while the colonial army blocked the escape from the east. The French navy was blocking the route to the sea.

Part of the French and Americans armies were about a mile back from the front lines, so the artillery could not reach them. The armies nearer to Cornwallis’s forces had fortifications protecting them from the artillery. The French ships weren’t in the middle of the York River so they would be safe from cannons, mortars, and howitzers. In the end my only suggestion would be to block both sides with ships for an equal balance.

The French Navy was very important in the battle of Yorktown even though they weren’t successful in earlier battles. In the battle of Yorktown, if it were not for the French Navy, the British would have had an escape route out of Virginia on the York River.

The first time the French used the navy was to take New York, but there was a sandbar that blocked them from getting into the city. The second defeat was at Newport, Rhode Island, because there was a lack of communication. Unfortunately, the next attack was unsuccessful in Savannah, Georgia because of fortifications. Although the French navy didn’t work very well in the beginning, later into the revolution it worked very well and played an important role for the colonial victory.

Saratoga was essential for the Colonies victory because it brought France into the war, allowed us to win the Battle of Yorktown, and provided the Colonies with important naval support. Some historians and other critics say they still would have won the war, but without the French alliance there would have been no Battle of Yorktown and no French Navy to stop the British retreat, thus we would have lost the war. Our lives would have changed dramatically without it, so be thankful every day for the freedoms we take for granted.