Name: ______Date: ______

Social Studies 7 “The Defeat of Gentleman Johnny”

The

Defeat of

Gentleman Johnny

“Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne rode among his British troops, calling on them to fight. American bullets ripped his coat. He laughed and waved his hat. His men cheered – and died. This was part of the Battle of Saratoga. It ended in a bloody British defeat. This defeat was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Historians can usually point to a turning point in any war. The turning point is the action or battle that gives one side a better chance of winning than the other.

How did it happen? General Burgoyne had a plan. It was to cut off New England from the rest of the American colonies. He had reasoned that New England was the “hotbed” of Revolution. If it was cut off then the rest of the colonies would crumble. To do this he would have to control the Hudson River in New YorkState. To do this he would lead an army down from Canada and take Albany, New York. Then he would march down the Hudson RiverValley and join forces with the British in New York City. This became known as the Three Fold Plan. With the Hudson River under British control, the Americans would not be able to get supplies from New England. Burgoyne started out in June 1777 with more than 7,000 men.

At first his plan seemed to go well. Burgoyne’s army easily captured Fort Ticonderoga, NY. But soon Burgoyne ran into trouble. His army had to cut its way through thick forests. It had to cross swamps and streams. It had to build some 40 bridges along the way. His men became sick and weak. Then some of his Indian allies attacked civilians and scalped an American woman. Many of the New Yorkers who had been on the British side turned against them.

Then Burgoyne made a bad mistake. He sent about 700 of his Hessian soldiers to Bennington, Vermont to grab horses and supplies. At Bennington, they were attacked by untrained American soldiers. Almost all of the Hessians were killed or captured. Many of the British soldiers sent to help them were also lost. In all, Burgoyne lost about 900 men.

On September 19, Burgoyne’s army met a much larger force near Saratoga. The British marched out of the forest into the open field. Up ahead, men in fur caps and with long rifles lay in wait, hidden among the trees. Suddenly there was a crack of American rifles. Their main targets were British officers. Many were killed. British gunners were picked off before they could load their cannons.

The British fled back into the woods. When the Americans charged them, the British drove them back. For three hours the two armies fought back and fourth across the field. Then the Americans finally pulled back, but the British had lost more than 600 men.

Burgoyne waited for help but none came. Then on October 7, the two armies fought it out again. This time an American General named Benedict Arnold was the hero of the day. Riding on horseback, he led three charges against British lines. On one charge, British troops under young General Simon Fraser held their own.

“Pick off that Fraser!” Arnold shouted. Get him and the day is won!” A moment later a sharpshooter aimed his rifle and fired. Fraser fell from his horse, badly wounded. His troops fell back. Soon Arnold also fell from his horse with a bullet wound in his leg. He was carried from the field.

But the Americans won the day. Burgoyne’s bleeding, starving army dragged away toward Saratoga. Soon his army was completely surrounded. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered his army of more than 5,000 British and Hessian troops.

The victory was the most important the Americans had won so far. It took some time for the news of their great victory to reach Europe. But when it did arrive it brought France, Britain’s old enemy, into the war on America’s side. Now America would have a powerful ally in its struggle for independence.

Questions:

1. Why did the British want to knock New York out of the War?

2. Who was the commander of British forces at Saratoga?

a. General Gatesb. General Arnoldc. General Burgoyne d. General Freeman

3. Why do you think the British troops came from Canada to take over the northern colonies?

4. General Burgoyne’s plan to conquer New York was called the “Three Fold Plan”.

a. Trueb. False

5. What was the final destination of all of Burgoyne’s troops?

a. Bennington, VTb. Saratoga, NYc. Albany, NY d. Bemis Heights

6. What American General was the hero at Saratoga?

7. Why was Saratoga considered to be the turning point of the Revolutionary War?