Burgoyne's Surrender Day

Burgoyne's (John) Surrender Day

October 17

British General John Burgoyne (1722-1792) is best remembered for his defeat by the colonial American forces in the Saratoga campaign of 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The plan was to have British troops from the north, south, and west unite at Albany, New York, thus isolating New England from the other rebellious colonies. Burgoyne led his troops south from Canada by way of Lake Champlain, capturing Fort Ticonderoga, New York, on July 6, 1777. But they were stopped at the Hudson River by the American forces commanded by General Philip Schuyler and, later, General Horatio Gates, with the assistance of General Benedict Arnold. Burgoyne was eventually forced to surrender to Gates near Saratoga Springs, New York, on October 17, 1777.
Historians regard the surrender at Saratoga Springs as the turning point in the Revolutionary War. The Americans' victory gave them a psychological advantage and persuaded France to ally itself with the colonists against England, its traditional rival.
The anniversary of Burgoyne's surrender is observed in New York State, particularly in the communities surrounding the Saratoga National Historical Park near Stillwater, New York. A well-known painting of Burgoyne's surrender by John Trumbull hangs in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.

CONTACTS:
Saratoga National Historic Park
National Park Service
648 Route 32
Stillwater, NY 12170
518-664-9821; fax: 518-664-9830
www.nps.gov/sara/f-sara.htm

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 713
AnnivHol-2000, p. 174
BkDaysAmerHist-1987, Oct 17

Celebration day: Oct 17