Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga, known as the turning point in the American Revolution, was, in a sense, the most important battle in the war. The battle relates to FED since it was a major battle in the war for independence and freedom from the British. This one battle made the Americans from on the losing side of the war and about to be annihilated and humiliated to being on the winning side. The very battle convinced our most important ally to join the war, France (which is Britain’s enemy), which would lead to nearly all European nation to help us.

            The Battle of Saratoga was never a battle expected by the British. General Howe and John Burgoyne created a three-pronged plan. Burgoyne was supposed to go down Lake Champlain into Fort Ticonderoga and wait for a small force that would come from the Mohawk River, to meet him there. General Howe would travel up the Hudson River for more reinforcement, and they would attack Albany. The generals thought that this would seal off New England from the rest of the colonies, thus ending the revolution. Only one problem (well, many problems): Howe decided to defend Philadelphia and attack George Washington’s troops (which he actually did really well), and that the troops traveling the Mohawk River were stopped and forced to retreat. That left Burgoyne all on his own to face difficult terrain, thousands of miles away from his home, and attack Albany.

            At first, Burgoyne received success after success. He even broke into Fort Ticonderoga, “The American Gibraltar”, without much trouble. His men completely trusted him, and the revolutionaries were nothing to him. Help was even on the way! Then as he waited, no help came. He realized he was on his own against an ever growing American army. He decided to leave the fort, leave the safety of the waters, and travel through land. The Americans, lead by Benedict Arnold.

            The Americans had a huge advantage, the terrain (which they now really well), the tactics (guerilla warfare was very effective), and most of all, the rifles. The longs rifle, which were perfected for accuracy, were effective for well over 100 yards, while the Brown Bess, which was designed for speed, were ineffective for anything over 40 yards. This means that the Americans can shoot at the British at a distant where the British cannot shoot back.

            Not only do the Americans have a distant advantage, but they also have a camouflage advantage. Hiding in trenches, trees, and natural formations, the Americans cannot be seen. This means that not only is the enemy (the Americans) is too far away too shoot, but also that you don’t even know where to shoot.

            To add to the fear factor, the Americans signal each other by making loud turkey gobbling, that indicates who they’re shooting and when they’re shooting. This creates a scenario for the British: You are 3000 miles away from home. Your family depends on your survival. You are fighting with an unknown enemy, who are hiding among trees and your uniform makes a perfect target. You don’t know where the enemies are and even if you do, your inferior rifle can’t shoot that far. You hear some gobbling. You wonder if you are going to die. BAM! Your idolized officer has fallen. Another gobbling, and your life is in peril. With each gobbling your heart nearly stops.

            The first major conflict was the Battle of Freeman’s Farm. This battle was for the possession for Freeman’s farm. Horatio Gates allowed Benedict Arnold to lead. The advantage was constantly between the troops; and whenever the Americans were disorganized, Arnold would rally the troops and charge in with them instead of standing back and let them do all the work. Arnold proved to be a true hero in this battle. After hours of bloodshed, the British received German reinforcements under Maj. Gen. Friedrich Riedesel. The British eventually made the Americans retreat and the British gained a slight victory.

            The victory however might be for the Americans. They had only lost 300 men wounded or dead (ten percent of the troops); while the British lost over 600 (nearly one third of the troops).

            The next major conflict was the Battle of Bemis Heights. Arnold was relieved of his command by General Horatio Gates, but that didn’t stop him. He sneaked out and helped rallied the forces against the British. Arnold noticed Horatio Gates as the leading officer, and Fraser at his right hand man; and told Morgan (the person in charge of the riflemen) about it. Morgan told Tim Murphy about this. Murphy climbed a tree and managed to kill Fraser. The death of Fraser was what made Burgoyne retreat and thus lost the battle. Arnold then rallied his troop to go after the British and when this happened, he managed to severely injure himself in the leg.

            After The Battle of Bemis Heights, Burgoyne was forced to eventually surrender. This convinced France to join the war, which would lead to our victory. Had the Battle of Saratoga not been won, over one million people’s independence might have been delayed decades, or maybe even until World War Two, like Canada. People willing to undertake the Manifest destiny, the rails and canals that help bridge America, and the many more entrepreneur that would have taken place in a new America might even vanish from lack of a free America. Discoveries in industries might not be found since Britain would have limited industrialization to promote monopoly. Also, the Americans discovered their inner courage, there inner strength, and that there is a chance in winning the war. Freedom, entrepreneurship, and discovery would all be at stake on just one battle: The Battle of Saratoga.

DAR

                         From Paul Revere's midnight ride to George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River, the American Revolution was a very important war in human and American history. Some leaders are widely acknowledge for their efforts, while others are unheard of. Among these unsung patriots and heroes who served in the war and helped the patriotic effort is Tadeusz Kosciuszko. A true hero, Tadeusz helped the colonies in the war by building many fortifications.

            Born in Mereczowszczyzna, Poland, Tadeusz Kosciuszko was the son of Ludwik and Tekla Kosciuszko. He attended the Piarist College in Lubieszow, Poland, and later, a military academy in Warsaw. His abilities attracted enough attention from King Stanislaw II Augustus Poniatowski, for the him to send him to Paris for further study in military. Finishing his studies in Paris, Tadeusz learned fortification, naval tactics, civil architecture, and painting. Later, he returned to Poland and taught drawing and mathematics to General Jozef Sosnowski's daughters. He fell in love with Ludwika, one of the general's daughter, but failed at the attempt to elope her. By the time Tadeusz got to America in 1776, he was a skilled engineer.

            The Declaration of Independence moved Tadeusz to tears. A perfectly written document that stated all the he believed in, the Declaration of Independence inspired Tadeusz. While traveling with the Continental army, he made a short visit to meet Thomas Jefferson. When he discovered that Thomas Jefferson was responsible for drafting the document, Tadeusz decided to meet Mr. Jefferson. After a warm welcome, Kosciuszko and Jefferson shared their beliefs and ideas throughout the day and became the best of friends.

            In October 18, 1776, our hero was commissioned as colonel of engineer. When the war started, Tadeusz helped fortify the Philadelphia waterfront at Fort Mercer. Shortly afterward, he helped the fortifications along the Hudson River and planned the defenses for Saratoga. Tadeusz contributed to the capitulation of the British in Saratoga, which was the turning point of the war. Being badly beaten up by the British in the first year of war, the Americans almost lost all hope. However, the victory at Saratoga re-fueled the Americans. This was the victory finally able to convince the French to join the war; thus, the Americans were relieved. When Spain and the Netherlands followed France in helping the revolution, the British gave up and America became independent.

            Tadeusz's next contribution to the patriotic effort was at West Point, New York. Appointed as chief engineer, our hero built the fortifications. Known as the American Gibraltar, the fortifications was impenetrable by the British forces. Later, West Point would become a military academy, as suggested by Tadeusz to General Washington.

            One of Our hero's contribution was under General Nathaniel, when Kosciuszko escorted the American forces across the Yadkin and Dan rivers. By doing this, he saved the army twice from the advancing British enemy. Then in the spring of 1781 in South Carolina, he conducted the Battle of Ninety-Six, and afterward, the blockade of Charlestown.

            In 1883, Kosciuszko was awarded for his service to the Continental Army by George Washington with the Cincinnati Order Medal. He was also given two pistols and a sword as gifts for his extraordinary service. Finally, he was appointed as Brigadier General, or as a one star general.

            Even though the Revolution is over, he did not stop fighting the fight for independence. Both Poland and America were countries that Kosciusko loved, and when the Russians invaded Poland in 1792, he immediately came to help. As a leader and commander, Tadeusz participated in many battles. Though in many battles, he strategically won, his inferior forces was soon overwhelmed and he captured as prisoner by Russia. In 1797, he was released and he came to America, his second home. Though he did not stay here long, he received a warm welcome. He moved to Paris, then Switzerland where he died in 1817.

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            As a hero who did so many things, why isn't Kosciuszko as well known as Thomas Jefferson or Samuel Adams? Why isn't James Armistead, who acted as a double-spy and gave the Americans valuable information, or Crispus Attucks, who was a symbol of antislavery when he died in the Boston Massacre, or the countless other heroes who helped the patriotic cause, widely known? These heroes--these unsung heroes--should be honored as we would honor our founding fathers. Without these countless patriots, from Polly Cooper to Allen McLane, our country wouldn't be free.

            Like how songs and poems are made in honor of the famous heroes like Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin, we should honor and remember the contributions by such unsung heroes like Tadeusz Kosciuszko. By doing this, we will be patriots, as we are when we raise our flag. Most importantly, being patriots of a great country like America is being a hero, an everyday hero of our lives.

History project

          The American Revolution has turn the world upside-down. From the French Revolution to the transfer of the Louisiana Territory, the revolution had influenced many things to happen.

            First, the most well-known influenced is the French Revolution. The French didn’t know how to revolt until they saw us. After seeing us escape or rulers and fight for liberty, the French decided to overthrow their king. Many of the French people who fought for America, like Lafayette, came to France and wanted to rebel just like the Americans. However, the revolution was a failure even though the royal family was killed and overthrown. It left the country in chaos until a brilliant dictator named Napoleon to take charge. But what’s the point of trying to get rid of a dictator, if you’re just going to post a new one?

            Without the French Revolution, there might not have been a Napoleon Bonaparte in history. As a genius military director in the chaos after the revolution, Napoleon became famous. One of Napoleon’s biggest action as a dictator was to give the Americans the Louisiana territory. Had it not been that we won the revolution and stall our independence decades later, we would have not been given the Louisiana territory, an essential area in expanding our power and territory.

            If the French Revolution leads up to Napoleon, and he leads up to our expansion; what does our expansion lead up to? Not having the expand our industrial power would have lead to many things. One of these might be the Allies loss in World War II. In WW2, Russia was being invaded by the Germans, Asia was dominated by Japan, Africa was conquered by Mussolini, and Great Britain suffered from the Blitz. This all before the United States joined the war. When we joined, the Nazis stood no chance. If our industrial power had been smaller though, we might have been just like France or China, annihilated and humiliated by the Axis.

            However, these big world influences aren’t the only influences. There are many more groups and events that were affected. The Polish Revolution against Russia followed ours. Other minor revolutions were based on our principles, and the documents were similar to our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. As one of the biggest, most influential war in the world, the American Revolutions did truly turn the world upside-down.