In 1777, after the capture of America’s capital Philadelphia, British troops planned to seize Albany, New York and separate New England from other colonies. That summer of 1777 marked the turning point of the American Revolution. General John Burgoyne marched his army of 8,000 men through New York. When Burgoyne and his troops reached the city they found the opposite of what they were expecting. American troops were waiting for them. Two small battles were fought eighteen days apart. The first battle of the Battle of Saratoga was the Battle of Freeman’s farm. That took place on September 19, 1777. Burgoyne and his army was marching south when they were stopped ten miles below Saratoga. Fighting then took place in a clearing knows as the Freeman Farm. With no luck of defeating the Americans Burgoyne surrendered. The British had lost twice as many men as the Americans had. The second battle was known as the Battle of Bemis Heights which occurred on October 7, 1777. The 1,500 British still continued moving south from Canada to New York along the Lake Chaplain, Lake George and the Hudson River. Along the way they came across another group of American forces led by Major General Benedict Arnold. This time not in an open clearing but in the heavily wooded areas of Bemis Heights south of Saratoga. The British were highly…show more content… After says of arguing they agreed to a formal surrender on October 7, 1777. The Saratoga Articles was then established and it stated that “all forces fighting with the British were to be treated as British, the surrendering British troops were allowed to depart with honors of war and in exchange for a promise not to return, the surrendering troops were to be transported to England and freedom”. The British surrendered all of their weapons and General Burgoyne handed over his sword as a sign of