How Did The Battle Of Saratoga Led To The American Revolution

The American Revolution was a war that forever changed the scope of world history. Battles were fought, blood was shed, and ultimately, victory was won by the colonists. However, for a long time the colonists were losing to the British army. Then, at some point, certain battles won by the colonists turned the tables and the British eventually lost the war. Some would argue that the battle of Yorktown was the most significant battle because it was the fight that led to British surrender and ultimate American victory. However, if it were not for the Battle of Saratoga a few years prior, the American colonists would not have had the resources to win the war. Therefore, the Battle of Saratoga was the most significant battle in the American Revolutionary

“Battle of Saratoga” agrees with this, stating that Franklin was trying to get the “French government to recognize the United States and sign an alliance, which it finally did in February 1778.” This means that the French may have been starting to support the colonists and their war secretly before the battle even happened. “American Revolution History” supports this statement when it explains that France “had been secretly aiding the rebels since 1776.” The Battle of Saratoga was merely the catalyst that brought forth an official alliance between France and the colonists. Once the British surrendered, the French were able to openly declare themselves allies of the colonists. Holmes concurs with this statement when he says that the American victory “encouraged the French... to go beyond the covert support they had offered the patriots thus far, and join the war.” The French also viewed the United States as an individual nation after this

At first, the war was between Britain and the colonies that they ruled over (“American Revolution History”). Bringing the French into the war against the British introduced a foreign nation into this civil affair. “Battle of Saratoga” expands on this idea when it explains that in March 1778, “France declared war on England, followed by Spain in 1779 and the Netherlands in 1780.” Great Britain not only had to worry about the United States at this point, but they also had to defend themselves against three independent nations. “British resources could no longer be concentrated on North America alone,” says Holmes. Britain had no choice but to divide its armies so they would be covered on American and British soil just in case war broke out in their own country, explains “Battle of Saratoga.” This war of nation against nation transformed the war from a civil war into a world