British Surrender at Saratoga

October 17, 1777

Burgoyne's invasion from Canada bogged down in upstate New York's forests, harassed by Yankee militiamen. Surrounded near Saratoga, his army of 6,000 stacked arms. The victory convinced Louis XVI of France to recognize American independence and enter the war - the decisive diplomatic consequence of a tactical collapse. French money, ships, and regulars would arrive within a year, transforming the rebellion into a world war.