The Turning PointObjective:

We will continue to follow the events of the Revolutionary War

Lesson #54

Ustaadhah Mariam Annor

• How difficult would it be to travel on foot carrying all of what you have?

• There are no places to just stop and get a bit to eat.

• Describe your emotion with one word.

• General John Burgoyne is known for the British failure at the battle of Saratoga. He took army of over 7,000 British soldiers down the Hudson River.

• He did not have enough reinforcement and supplies led to his defeat and surrender.

• The defeat of Saratoga was a major turning point in the war.

• It gave the Americans confidence as France joined the patriots' side.

• The battle was fought from Montreal, Canada to Saratoga.

We will read from our digital text.

• The British General John Burgoyne sailed south on Lake Champlain with an army of over 7,000 soldiers.

• He was going to capture Albany, New York. He would then continue south on the Hudson River. Their goal was to control Lake Champlain and the Hudson River.

• Burgoyne thought this would end the war. The Americans had designed a fort near the town of Saratoga.

• General Benedict Arnold was there to stop the British. This battle was called the Battle of Saratoga.

• Burgoyne’s soldiers were running out of food and suffered heavy losses.

• The American army was growing in size. By October 1777, Burgoyne surrendered.

• This battle is often called the turning point of the war because it showed that the Continental Army was strong enough to take the British.

• After the success of Saratoga, France agreed to join the fight. Up until then the French did not think the American army was strong enough to succeed.

• This was the turning point for Benedict Arnold too. He was wounded in the battle. In 1780, he shocked the country by joining the British army for money. Benedict Arnold is one of the most famous traitors in American history.

• African Americans served in the Continental Army too. They were offered their freedom if they would fight for the British Army.

• Thousands of African Americans gained their freedom by serving the British. Some Joined the Loyalists and fled to Canada. They were also fighting for the Patriots.

• They believed that a war for freedom should mean freedom for all Americans including those who were held in slavery. One African American shot a British officer at Bunker Hill. His name was Peter Salem.

• There were also African Americans spies. One such was James Armistead.

• He got behind the lines of the enemy and gained the trust of the British. The Virginia Assembly released Armistead from slavery and praised his service.

• Many enslaved men were freed from slavery in exchange for service in the Continental Army.

• After helping their country gain its freedom, some of these African American Patriots led the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

Review Questions•What was the Turning

Point?

Review Questions•What happened and

where?