1777 was a hinge year in the fight for American independence, when British efforts to crush the rebellion outright gave way to a war that would drag on for years and ultimately draw in France. The most consequential event was the surrender of a British army under General John Burgoyne at Saratoga that October. Burgoyne had led a separate northern force south from Canada with the aim of splitting the colonies, but he was cut off and forced to capitulate to American troops, a stunning reversal that reshaped the entire war.
While Burgoyne's campaign was collapsing in the north, the main British army under William Howe was making gains further south. Howe set his sights on Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress, and pressed his advance through the summer. As his troops closed in, Congress was forced to flee the city for the safety of Baltimore, and Howe went on to occupy Philadelphia. Even so, this success did little to offset the disaster at Saratoga in the broader course of the war.
The victory at Saratoga proved to be the turning point that mattered most. It convinced France, and eventually Spain, that American independence was a realiztic possibility worth backing. France moved first with a commercial agreement with the revolutionaries, then formalized its support with a Treaty of Alliance in February 1778. That foreign intervention, set in motion by the events of 1777, would prove decisive in tipping the balance against Great Britain in the years that followed.
Written by Aubrey Research from American Revolutionary War on Wikipedia, cited as a reference and not reproduced.
Where these engagements were fought
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Engagements of 1777.
Notable engagements of 1777
| Engagement | Year | State | Outcome | Forces or losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandywine | 1777 | PA | British victory | Hesse-Kassel: 93 killed ; 488 wounded ; 6 missing; United St |
| Bennington | 1777 | NY | American victory | United States: 30 killed; 40 wounded; Great Britain ; Brunsw |
| Germantown | 1777 | PA | British victory | Hesse-Kassel: 71 killed ; 448 wounded ; 14 missing; 152 kill |
| Forts Clinton And Montgomery | 1777 | NY | British victory | 75 killed or wounded; 41 killed; 142 wounded |
| Oriskany | 1777 | NY | British victory | Oneida: 385 killed ; 50 wounded ; 30 captured; Hesse-Hanau ; |
| Saratoga (Siege) | 1777 | NY | Surveyed battlefield | 90 killed; 240 wounded; Quebec; ; Hesse-Kassel; Hesse-Hanau; |
| Saratoga (Freeman'S Farm) | 1777 | NY | Surveyed battlefield | 90 killed; 240 wounded; Quebec; ; Hesse-Kassel; Hesse-Hanau; |
| Paoli | 1777 | PA | British victory | Great Britain: 4 killed; 7 wounded; United States: 52 killed |
| Thomas Creek | 1777 | FL | British victory | United States: 4-8 killed; 9 wounded; 31-34 captives (of who |
| Assunpink | 1777 | NJ | American victory | United States: 7-100 killed or wounded; 55-365 killed, wound |
| Saratoga (Bemis Heights) | 1777 | NY | Surveyed battlefield | 90 killed; 240 wounded; Quebec; ; Hesse-Kassel; Hesse-Hanau; |
| Hubbardton | 1777 | VT | Surveyed battlefield | Green Mountain Boys: 41-150 killed; 96-457 wounded; Quebec; |
Plus 31 further documented engagements in the 1777 record.
Battlefield locations and boundaries are compiled from public records, including the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain) and the American Revolution GIS work of Charles E. Frye (CC BY-SA 4.0).