Saratoga spells British defeat

Abstract

One of the prizes for the 2020 Undergraduate Research Project Contest was awarded for this paper by Abby West.

"After Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, the colonists began to believe that their 'independence [was] undoubtedly secured,' even though the conflict was far from over. This certainty that eventually the colonists would prevail resulted from the clear notion that this one victory was indicative of what was to come. After this battle, the colonists' correspondence and publications read as if they were trying to set up a self-fulfilling prophesy and will triumph into existence, which they achieved by using this one success as an encouraging weapon to wield when the people got listless. Moreover, the French entrance into war proved absolutely crucial to the colonial war effort, giving them both a much-needed boost in morale and the legitimacy sufficient for other countries to take up arms alongside them and take them seriously as a nation. This was in stark contrast to Britain's sudden isolation and need to preserve their other imperial holdings, which forced them to take a much more reserved tactical approach that led to their eventual downfall."--Page 8-9