Editing Schuylerville, New York (section)

===Revolutionary War===
In 1777, the British Army under General Burgoyne crossed the Hudson River, one-half mile north of Schuylerville (known then as Saratoga) on their campaign from Canada to Albany in an attempt to end the American Revolution by splitting the colonies in two. The British marched south approximately nine miles to [[Bemis Heights]], near present-day Stillwater, where American troops engaged them in the two [[Battles of Saratoga]], the first on September 19 and the second on October 7, 1777. The British advance was stopped by the American forces, and the British retreated back northward to an encampment along Fish Creek, just outside the village. The [[Saratoga Battle Monument]] in the Village of Victory is located near the site of the British encampment.

American forces blocked further British retreat and surrounded the encampment. With winter approaching and no hope of escape, the British were forced to surrender. On October 17, 1777, General Burgoyne surrendered his army to American General [[Horatio Gates]], marking the turning point of the American Revolution. The British laid down their arms in what is now Fort Hardy Park in the Village of Schuylerville. The American victory at Saratoga was enough to convince France to throw their support to the American cause, and Spain  eventually followed France's lead.