Introduction
The Battle of Saratoga remains the most significant victory in the American Revolutionaries because it helped shift the dynamics in their favor. Arguably, it set American colonies on their path to eventual victory from British rule. In this paper's view, the real significance of the battle was mainly its symbolic meaning not just to Americans and her patriots' troops but also to America's future allies. Many things changed after the surrender of the British troops that can be accurately interpreted as the key factors that inspired the eventual victory of American forces. As the subsequent discussions, the victory triggered a series of events that helped America secure her freedom based on their values and ideals. Thus, the battle of Saratoga marked a significant turn in the history of America because it helped to forge the path towards self-governance. In more precise terms, the American victory in the Saratoga Battle set in motion multiple things that contributed to America's attainment of self-freedom.
The Battle of Saratoga is considered the primary reason why American allies France, Spain, and the Netherlands joined the war on their side 1 (Boone, 2019, p.52). This development was critical because it helped them secure the support for much-needed resources and military equipment to keep up their Revolutionary wars against the British. For the most part, the American victory in THE Battle of Saratoga gave their allies confidence in their resolve to become free from the control of the British rule 2 (Boone, 2019, p.53). According to multiple scholarly sources, winning in the Battle of Saratoga played an essential role in strengthening the existing links with other European powers. At this point, the legitimacy of the United States of America began to form in the eyes of the key international partners such as France, Spain, and the Netherlands, whose support helped a great deal in the later years until the Nation was free from British war 3 (Boone, 2019, p.56). Had they lost, it would have been impossible for Americans to gain recognition from these international partners.
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Many historical sources point out that the Battle of Saratoga was significant for the Americans because it was at this that their resolve and commitment to stand united against imperialist rule became one 4 (Cox, 2020,p.254). The British strategy of the divide had, in previous instances, worked to create divisions among the American colonies. However, after the victory of Saratoga, the Patriot troops began to receive massive support from Americans across the Nation. Arguably, since the Victory against the British inspired a form of sense nationalism that united all the colonies under one flag 5 (Cox, 2020,p.255). From this point of view, it is correct to hypothesize that it was at this point that the American identity was born, one characterized by heroism against all odds inspired by a shared sentiment of the value of freedom and self-governance christened the war against “God’s Elect” 6 (Cox, 2020,p.256). In precise terms, the Battle of Saratoga was important because it gave birth to a nation united by the ideals of liberty and freedom.
Also, it was a significant turn in the American Revolutionary war because it re-ignited the commitment and confidence of American troops that kept them fighting through to eventual victory. After emerging victorious in this battle, the Nation's troops experienced firsthand how freedom would feel. In the Aftermath of the British surrender, especially when the thousands of British soldiers put down their gun on the other side of the Hudson River in a gesture of acknowledging the victory of the British soldiers, the possibility of liberty from the British rule became permanently ingrained in the hearts and minds. Notably, many attest to the fact that over the years, that moment was used to inspire bravery and devotion to the Patriot army in the hope of someday winning the fight. Thus through this renewed resolve to fight off, it marked a significant turning point in the American Revolutionary wars because it provided the perfect opportunity to keep up the spirits of Patriot troops throughout the remaining part of the war. In one of the narrations of Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British Army in memory of this loss, he recounted the vigor and bravery with which the American soldiers fought during and after their victory in Saratoga.
After the Saratoga, the trajectory of the war, especially on the British side, changed because it served a huge blow to their morale. Research indicates the majority of the men who surrendered at the Hudson Valley quit their military careers in shame. The image and prestige that British military officers enjoyed before the loss have served to a great advantage for them and the bravery with which they fought the Patriots. However, after this loss, they de-motivated, and their pride was gone, which played in favor of the Patriot army. It was a momentous point of change in the American revolutionary wars in the way that it shifted the sense of superiority away from the British to the American. Essentially, shifts in the military sense of superiority were a significant development in the war because it helped to pave a new path for the American towards claiming victory for their fellow countrymen in the years that followed 7 . In more finite terms, the triumph accorded the Americans a new sense of renewed purpose to crush the British forces in the battles that followed.
One of the most critical points of conflicts between the Colonies and the Crown was the trade rights and navigation rights of the Hudson River. The Battle of Saratoga, in part, fought to protect the British control of the River, resulted in the North gaining absolute control. In retrospect, the victory helped secure their Rights to the Hudson River that significantly affected their commerce with the Americas, especially in the North. With new treaties with major trading partners such as France, Spain, and the Dutch began a new era for the Americans for economic prosperity by according access to one of the most strategic waterways in the colonies (Boone, 2019, p.53). Consequentially, this weakened the British and gave the Americans the upper hand in business.
Whoever controlled the Hudson River controlled commerce with some of the wealthiest territories in the North. Thus, gaining control of the Hudson River and setting the American colonies in the North on a path of economic prosperity because it helped establish links with the international market without oppressive trade policies of the Imperialist 8 (Whiting et al.,2019, p.8). The Americans cutting off the British from the Hudson River gave them precedence over the British in the subsequent years 9 . From a historical point of view, the victory at Saratoga helped forge a new path of international commerce with the Europeans on their terms that helped to stimulate the economic prosperity of the Nation long after the Battle of Saratoga.
Multiple theorists argue that it was at the Battle of Saratoga that true American ideals of Freedom and Liberty were portrayed and caused ripple effects across the world. The victory shone a new light on Americanism and their particular ideals for freedom. The urge to fight and overcome the British planted the seeds for world liberty against imperialism in the years that followed. As such, it was a momentous time for the American society in the way that it helped to create a sense of unity that helped to forge essential ideals that have played a vital role in keeping the country united under a common flag and ideals enshrined under the Declaration of Independence.
While there exist divergent views on the true meaning of this moment, it was evident that the ideas still relevant in the Modern society of liberty were inspired in part by this victory. More precisely, most Americans believed the resolve of the American soldiers to fight off imperialist British on behalf of their countrymen was born out of the firm belief that their society should be governed by the principles of liberty and equality for all. These ideals and helped the Americans in the subsequent years to remain united even when their unity was vigorously tested during the civil war 10 (Onuf, 2018, p.159). Arguably, the moment of victory at the Battle of Saratoga not only was momentous because it changed the altered the course of the civil by uniting Americans under a common flag but also because it helped forge the ideals to date continue to hold our society together.
To conclude, the Battle of Saratoga was a turning point for the American Revolutionary war because it shifted the scales in their favor and helped set the foundations that led them to victory. Not only did the American claim against illegal imperialist rule gain traction, but also it helped the Nation to forge a new path of alliances with major powers at the time that lasted centuries, which helped them, begin a new journey towards economic, social, political, and cultural liberty. From this point of view, the attributes of Americanism was born out of these that played a vital role in the creation of a new American identity that has kept the country united ever since the declaration of independence. Irrevocably, this was the true legacy and significance of the Battle of Saratoga
Bibliography
Boone, D. "Foreign intervention: The influence of the French and Spanish navies on the American Revolution." Saber and Scroll, A Publication of the APUS Historical Studies Honor Society Journal 8, no. 2 (2019). doi:10.18278/sshj.8.2.5.
Cox, Jeremy. "American Philhellenes and the Poetics of War." Journal for the History of Rhetoric 23, no. 3 (2020), 253-286. doi:10.1080/26878003.2020.1814900.
Onuf, Peter S. "A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism." Journal of American History 105, no. 1 (2018), 158-159. doi:10.1093/jahist/jay050.
Whiting, Jim, and Marylou M. Kjelle. An Overview of the American Revolution . Hallandale: Mitchell Lane, 2019.
1 D. Boone, "Foreign intervention: The influence of the French and Spanish navies on the American Revolution," Saber and Scroll, A Publication of the APUS Historical Studies Honor Society Journal 8, no. 2 (2019): xx, doi:10.18278/sshj.8.2.5.
2 Ibid
3 D. Boone, "Foreign intervention: The influence of the French and Spanish navies on the American Revolution," Saber and Scroll, A Publication of the APUS Historical Studies Honor Society Journal 8, no. 2 (2019): xx, doi:10.18278/sshj.8.2.5.
4 Jeremy Cox, "American Philhellenes and the Poetics of War," Journal for the History of Rhetoric 23, no. 3 (2020): xx, doi:10.1080/26878003.2020.1814900.
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
7 Jeremy Cox, "American Philhellenes and the Poetics of War," Journal for the History of Rhetoric 23, no. 3 (2020): xx, doi:10.1080/26878003.2020.1814900.
8 Whiting, Jim, and Marylou M. Kjelle. An Overview of the American Revolution. Hallandale: Mitchell Lane, 2019.
9 Ibid
10 Peter S. Onuf, "A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism," Journal of American History 105, no. 1 (2018): xx, doi:10.1093/jahist/jay050.
