Places to Explore
Follow in the footsteps of the American Patriots as they battled for independence
1 SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
The two major engagements between the British and the Americans that took place here on 19 September and 7 October 1777 are collectively known as the Battle of Saratoga, and this proved to be a decisive turning point in the progress of the Revolutionary War. The British, under General John Burgoyne, sought to claim control of the Hudson River Valley but were met with the formidable American forces of General Horatio Gates, commander of the Northern Department of the Continental Army. After suffering a gruelling defeat, the British attempted to escape north but were eventually forced to surrender on 17 October. The events at Saratoga convinced King Louis XVI of France to join forces with the Americans, which turned the tide of the entire war.
Today, you can walk through Victory Woods where the British army was encamped, visit the site on which Burgoyne surrendered, and climb the 155-foot Saratoga Monument to get breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
Open daily April-November, 9am-5pm. Free entry.
2 YORKTOWN BATTLEFIELD
The Siege of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolution, and it took place on this spot over three weeks, lasting from 28 September to 19 October 1781. Charles Cornwallis and his army of 9,000 British troops were occupying Yorktown while they waited for supplies and reinforcements to arrive from the Royal Navy.
Spying an opportunity, the combined American and French troops led by George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau, numbering nearly 20,000 men between them, decided to besiege Yorktown. Cornwallis set up a series of defensive redoubts, while the American and French forces built a series of trenches through which they could move large guns close enough to the British line of defence to launch devastating artillery barrages. Outnumbered and suffering severe casualties, the British eventually had to admit defeat and negotiate a surrender agreement. The victory achieved here ultimately led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 and the founding of the United States as an independent nation.
There’s plenty to see at the Yorktown Battlefield site. The Visitor Centre contains museum exhibits including the campaign table used by Cornwallis during the siege and Washington’s war tents. Outside, you can explore the remains of the battlefield, including encampment areas and siege lines, and visit Moore House where the surrender negotiations took place. .
Open daily, 9am-5pm. Entry $15.
3 PAUL
