28 January 1777 A.D. GEN
Burgoyne & the British Plan to Isolate New England
Editors. “British plan to isolate New
England.” History.com. N.d. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-plan-to-isolate-new-england. Accessed
26 Jan 2015.
British plan to isolate New England
John Burgoyne, poet, playwright
and British general, submits an ill-fated plan to the British government to
isolate New England from the other colonies on this day in 1777.
Burgoyne's plan revolved around
an invasion of 8,000 British troops from Canada, who would move southward
through New York by
way of Lake Champlain and the Mohawk River, taking the Americans by surprise.
General Burgoyne believed he and his troops could then take control of the
Hudson River and isolate New England from the other colonies, freeing British
General William Howe to attack Philadelphia.
General Burgoyne's plan went
into effect during the summer of 1777 and was initially a success—the British
captured Fort Ticonderoga on June 2, 1777. However, the early success failed to
lead to victory, as Burgoyne overextended his supply chain, which stretched in
a long, narrow strip from the northern tip of Lake Champlain south to the northern
curve of the Hudson River at Fort Edward, New York. As Burgoyne's army marched
south, Patriot militia circled north, cutting the British supply line.
Burgoyne then suffered defeat in
Bennington, Vermont,
and bloody draws at Bemis Heights, New York. On October 17, 1777, a frustrated
Burgoyne retreated 10 miles and surrendered his remaining 6,000 British forces
to the Patriots at Saratoga. Upon hearing of the Patriot victory, France agreed
to recognize the independence of the United
States. It was, of course, France's
eventual support that enabled the Patriots' ultimate victory.
The defeat at Saratoga led to
General Burgoyne's downfall. He returned to England, where he faced severe
criticism and soon retired from active service.
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