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Student Worksheet Packet

The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution

Saratoga Springs, NY

Grades 6-8·2 class periods

Students analyze why the Battles of Saratoga are considered the turning point of the American Revolution, focusing on the French alliance that followed and the diplomatic chain of causation running from the battlefield to Paris. Using maps, timelines, and primary sources, students trace how a military victory in upstate New York changed the character of a global war.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the British strategy of dividing the colonies along the Hudson and why Saratoga ended that strategy
  2. Describe the diplomatic sequence from Burgoyne's surrender to the French Treaty of Alliance (February 1778)
  3. Analyze Benjamin Franklin's role in leveraging Saratoga news at the French court
  4. Evaluate whether Saratoga or some other event was the true "turning point" of the Revolution

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

  • What makes a military event a "turning point"? Does Saratoga deserve that label?
  • How do military outcomes shape diplomacy? What did France need to see before committing to the American alliance?
Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentOrderly Book of Lieut. Gen. John Burgoyne
SourceMunsell (ed. E.B. O'Callaghan)
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Saratoga Springs, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentHoratio Gates Papers, 1726-1828
SourceNew-York Historical Society
TypePRIMARY
Horatio Gates Papers, 1726-1828

Horatio Gates Papers, 1726-1828

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Saratoga Springs, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentConvention of Saratoga: Articles of Capitulation, October 17, 1777
SourceNational Archives and Records Administration
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Saratoga Springs, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentSaratoga National Historical Park Official Site and Administrative History
SourceNational Park Service
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Saratoga National Historical Park Official Site and Administrative History

Saratoga National Historical Park Official Site and Administrative History

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Saratoga Springs, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentDecision on the Hudson: The Saratoga Campaign of 1777
SourceNational Park Service (John Luzader)
TypeSECONDARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What primary sources does this draw from?

  5. What interpretation does the author offer?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Saratoga Springs, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Saratoga Springs Event Timeline
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Saratoga Springs Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Saratoga Springs Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] Burgoyne's Surrender
  • [ ] Second Battle of Saratoga (Bemis Heights)
  • [ ] News of Saratoga Reaches France
  • [ ] First Battle of Saratoga (Freeman's Farm)
  • [ ] Arnold Wounded at the Breymann Redoubt

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet


## Source Information

  • Title: _________________
  • Author: _________________
  • Date: _________________
  • Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

1.

2.

3.


## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

1.

2.


## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Saratoga Springs during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Key Figures Profile
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Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Horatio Gates

Commander of American forces at Saratoga whose cautious defensive strategy, combined with the aggressive field tactics of his subordinates, produced the most consequential American victory of the war.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.


### John Burgoyne

British commander who led the northern invasion from Canada, expecting to split the colonies along the Hudson. His surrender of nearly 6,000 troops at Saratoga was the worst British defeat of the war and triggered French entry into the conflict.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:The Turning Point: Why Saratoga Changed the American Revolution — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Saratoga Springs in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

  1. 1.  What makes Saratoga Springs significant in Revolutionary history?

  2. 2.  Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

  3. 3.  Name one event that occurred in Saratoga Springs during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

    Answer:

  4. 4.  Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

  5. 5.  Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.

    Answer: