Why Was The Battle Of Saratoga A Failure

The Battle of Saratoga, which is actually two battles, was very critical. It raised morale from previous defeats, and it convinced France and Spain to aid in the Revolution. The British decided to isolate New England by using General Burgoyne and General Howe. General Burgoyne, who was in Canada, would march his troops south, and General Howe, who was in New Jersey, would march north. It was a brilliant plan, and would have succeeded, if it were not for one small detail: General Howe didn’t stick with the directions. Instead, he marched his troops to attack Philadelphia after leaving a small detachment of troops to guard Albany. Meanwhile, General Burgoyne’s supply line grew less and less reliable. A short while later, the first …show more content…
He was also running out of food. But he refused to surrender to the Patriots, whom he considered already defeated. Then, on October 7, Burgoyne attacked the Americans. It was a total failure. While Burgoyne lost men to Patriot sharpshooters, General Lincoln’s forces joined that of General Gates’. Even Benedict Arnold, who was confined to his tent after the Battle of Freeman’s Farm because of an argument, charged out and wrecked the British fortifications. Slowly, as darkness fell, Burgoyne managed to bring his troops back to Saratoga, which was besieged by the Patriots. General Burgoyne surrendered to the “already defeated” Americans on October 17, 1777, ten days after his failed attack.
The Patriot’s accomplished much more than forcing General Burgoyne to surrender. They saved the New England colonies, and boosted the morale of the Colonial forces. France, who had been supplying the Patriots with food, now sent soldiers to help. Spain also decided to aid the rebels. When Burgoyne surrendered, the defeat boosted hope and confidence, causing Spain and France to cast their lot with the colonies; and making The Battle of Saratoga to be critical in the Revolutionary