Saratoga National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
Saratoga National Historical Park is a United States
National Historical Park
located in eastern New York State forty miles north of Albany
, New York
.
. Here in 1777, American forces met, defeated, and forced a major British army
to surrender, an event which led France
to recognize the independence of the United States, and enter the war as a decisive military ally of the struggling Americans.
First authorized as a New York
state historic preserve in 1927 on the sesquicentennial of the Battles, the Battlefield was made part of the National Park System in 1938 when Saratoga National Historical Park was authorized by the United States Congress
.
The Visitors Center offers a 20-minute orientation film, fiber-optic
light map, timeline and artifact displays. A brochure is available for a self-guided tour of sites in the four-square mile Battlefield in Stillwater
. The General Philip Schuyler
House, eight miles (13 km) north in Schuylerville
, is a restored house museum open by tour. The Saratoga Monument is in the nearby village of Victory
.
The park is located on the upper Hudson River
southeast of Saratoga Springs. It contains the famous Boot Monument
to Benedict Arnold
, the only war memorial
in the United States that does not bear the name of its honoree. The memorial was donated by John Watts de Peyster
a former Major General
for the New York State Militia
during the American Civil War
who wrote several military histories about the Battle of Saratoga.
, a National Historic Place, lies eight miles (13 km) north of the main entrance to the Park on US Highway 4 and NY Highway 32 north of the village of Schuylerville. Made famous by Baroness Frederika Riedesel
in her Letters and Journals relating to the War of the American Revolution, and the Capture of the German Troops led by General Riedesel at Saratoga. This house was built in 1770-1773.
During the closing days of the Battles of Saratoga, Baroness Riedesel sheltered there together with the wives of officers of the British army and wounded personnel. Her account of the travails of those around her, her keen insight into the personalities of the principal officers of both the British and American armies and her devotion to her husband in peril have led some commentators to name her as the first woman war correspondent
. The Marshall House was bombarded by the Americans who supposed it an enemy headquarters.
Within are conserved cannon balls and other reminders of the ordeal suffered by those who took refuge there. The Marshall House is the sole structure in the battles area surviving. The property is privately owned.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Historical Park
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
located in eastern New York State forty miles north of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Description
The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga, the first significant American military victory of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Here in 1777, American forces met, defeated, and forced a major British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
to surrender, an event which led France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to recognize the independence of the United States, and enter the war as a decisive military ally of the struggling Americans.
First authorized as a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state historic preserve in 1927 on the sesquicentennial of the Battles, the Battlefield was made part of the National Park System in 1938 when Saratoga National Historical Park was authorized by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
The Visitors Center offers a 20-minute orientation film, fiber-optic
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
light map, timeline and artifact displays. A brochure is available for a self-guided tour of sites in the four-square mile Battlefield in Stillwater
Stillwater, New York
Stillwater is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,522 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village called Stillwater...
. The General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
House, eight miles (13 km) north in Schuylerville
Schuylerville, New York
Schuylerville is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Schuyler family....
, is a restored house museum open by tour. The Saratoga Monument is in the nearby village of Victory
Victory, Saratoga County, New York
----Victory is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northeast part of the town of Saratoga, southwest of and bordering the village of Schuylerville. Victory is one of the smallest villages in New York.-...
.
The park is located on the upper Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
southeast of Saratoga Springs. It contains the famous Boot Monument
Boot Monument
The Boot Monument is an American Revolutionary War memorial. Located in Saratoga National Historical Park, New York, it commemorates Major General Benedict Arnold's service at the Battles of Saratoga in the Continental Army, but contrives not to name him....
to Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, the only war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in the United States that does not bear the name of its honoree. The memorial was donated by John Watts de Peyster
John Watts de Peyster
John Watts de Peyster, Sr. was an author on the art of war, philanthropist, and early Adjutant General of the New York National Guard. He served in the New York State Militia during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War...
a former Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
for the New York State Militia
New York Guard
The New York Guard is the State Defense Force of New York State. As of June 2008, the New York Guard, a recognized command under the New York State's Military law, has line-item funding in the state budget....
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who wrote several military histories about the Battle of Saratoga.
Nearby Saratoga Battles spots not included in the SNHP
The Marshall HouseMarshall House (Schuylerville, New York)
The Marshall House is a house in Schuylerville, New York listed on the National Register of Historic Places for both its place in American history and its architectural significance.- Pre-Revolutionary history :...
, a National Historic Place, lies eight miles (13 km) north of the main entrance to the Park on US Highway 4 and NY Highway 32 north of the village of Schuylerville. Made famous by Baroness Frederika Riedesel
Frederika Charlotte Riedesel
Frederika Charlotte Louise von Massow, Baroness Riedesel zu Eisenbach was the wife of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel of Brunswick. She accompanied him during the Saratoga Campaign in the American Revolutionary War and kept a journal of the campaign.-Early life:Frederika was born in 11 July 1746...
in her Letters and Journals relating to the War of the American Revolution, and the Capture of the German Troops led by General Riedesel at Saratoga. This house was built in 1770-1773.
During the closing days of the Battles of Saratoga, Baroness Riedesel sheltered there together with the wives of officers of the British army and wounded personnel. Her account of the travails of those around her, her keen insight into the personalities of the principal officers of both the British and American armies and her devotion to her husband in peril have led some commentators to name her as the first woman war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
. The Marshall House was bombarded by the Americans who supposed it an enemy headquarters.
Within are conserved cannon balls and other reminders of the ordeal suffered by those who took refuge there. The Marshall House is the sole structure in the battles area surviving. The property is privately owned.
External links
- National Park Service: Saratoga National Historical Park
- Saratoga: The Tide Turns on the Frontier, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
- The Marshall House website