Serachtague

Saratoga lies in the upper Hudson valley, where the river passes between wooded hills on its way south. The route north leads toward Lake Champlain and Canada, making the district important to travellers and armies. Dutch and English settlers established farms here, but the frontier remained exposed to conflict with French forces and their allies.

The settlement was burned in 1745 during King George's War. In 1777 British General John Burgoyne advanced south from Canada, while American forces delayed his march by destroying bridges and blocking roads. After battles near Saratoga in September and October, Burgoyne's army retreated and surrendered to General Horatio Gates on 17 October. The victory strengthened the American cause abroad and helped bring France into the war as an ally.