The battle started when Burgoyne's forces moved south from Canada into the Hudson River Valley in an attempt to divide New England from the rest of the colonies. The Americans, under the command of General Horatio Gates, were able to stop the British advance and eventually force them to surrender.
The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War as it showed that the Americans were capable of defeating the British in a major battle. It also led to the French entering the war on the side of the Americans, which eventually led to the British defeat.