Battle of Saratoga in the American Revolution

Battle of Saratoga in the American Revolution The Battle of Saratoga was fought September 19 and October 7, 1777, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). In the spring of 1777, Major General John Burgoyne proposed a plan for defeating the Americans. Believing that New England was the seat of the rebellion, he proposed cutting the region off from the other colonies by moving down the Hudson River corridor while a second force, led by Colonel Barry St. Leger, advanced east from Lake Ontario. Meeting at Albany, they would press down the Hudson, while General William Howes army advanced north from New York. British Plans An attempt to capture Albany from the north had been attempted the previous year, but the British commander, Sir Guy Carleton, had elected to withdraw after the Battle of Valcour Island (October 11) citing the lateness of the season. On February 28, 1777, Burgoyne presented his plan to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord George Germain. Reviewing the documents, he granted Burgoyne permission to move forward and appointed him to lead the army that would invade from Canada. Germain did so having already approved a plan from Howe that called for the British army in New York City to advance against the American capital at Philadelphia. Â   It is unclear whether Burgoyne was aware of Howes intentions to attack Philadelphia before he left Britain. Though Howe was later informed that he should support Burgoynes advance, he was not specifically told what this should entail. Additionally, Howes seniority precluded Burgoyne from issuing him orders. Writing in May, Germain told Howe that he expected the Philadelphia campaign to be concluded in time to assist Burgoyne, but his letter contained no specific orders. Burgoyne Advances Moving forward that summer, Burgoynes advance initially met with success as Fort Ticonderoga was captured and Major General Arthur St. Clairs command forced to retreat. Pursuing the Americans, his men won a victory at the Battle of Hubbardton on July 7. Pressing down from Lake Champlain, the British advance was slow as the Americans diligently worked to block the roads south. The British plan began to unravel in quick succession as Burgoyne became plagued by supply issues. To help remedy this issue, he dispatched a column led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum to raid Vermont for supplies. This force encountered American forces led by Brigadier General John Stark on August 16. In the resulting Battle of Bennington, Baum was killed and his predominantly Hessian command suffered over fifty percent casualties. The loss resulted in the desertion of many of Burgoynes Native American allies. Burgoynes situation was further worsened by news that St. Leger had turned back and that Howe had left New York to begin a campaign against Philadelphia. Alone and with his supply situation worsening, he elected to move south in an effort to take Albany before winter. Opposing his advance was an American army under the command of Major General Horatio Gates. Appointed to the position on August 19, Gates inherited an army that was rapidly growing due to the success at Bennington, outrage over the slaying of Jane McCrea by Burgoynes Native Americans, and the arrival of militia units. Gates army also benefited from General George Washingtons earlier decision to send north his best field commander, Major General Benedict Arnold, and Colonel Daniel Morgans rifle corps. Armies Commanders Americans Major General Horatio GatesMajor General Benedict ArnoldColonel Daniel Morgan9,000 growing to 15,000 men British Major General John Burgoyne7,200 declining to 6,600 men Battle of Freemans Farm On September 7, Gates moved north from Stillwater and occupied a strong position atop Bemis Heights, approximately ten miles south of Saratoga. Along the heights, elaborate fortifications were constructed under the eye of engineer Thaddeus Kosciusko which commanded the river and the road to Albany. In the American camp, tensions festered as the relationship between Gates and Arnold soured. Despite this, Arnold was given command of the left wing of the army and the responsibility for preventing the capture of heights to the west which dominated the Bemis position. Crossing the Hudson north of Saratoga between September 13-15, Burgoyne advanced on the Americans. Hampered by American efforts to block the road, heavy woods, and broken terrain, Burgoyne was not in position to attack until September 19. Seeking to take the heights to the west, he devised a three-prong attack. While Baron Riedesel advanced with a mixed British-Hessian force along the river, Burgoyne and Brigadier General James Hamilton would move inland before turning south to attack Bemis Heights. The third column under Brigadier General Simon Fraser would move further inland and work to turn the American left. Arnold and Morgan Attack Aware of British intentions, Arnold lobbied Gates to attack while the British were marching through the woods. Though preferring to sit and wait, Gates finally relented and permitted Arnold to advance Morgans riflemen along with some light infantry. He also stated that if the situation required, Arnold could involve more of his command. Moving forward to an open field on the farm of Loyalist John Freeman, Morgans men soon sighted the lead elements of Hamiltons column. Opening fire, they targeted the British officers before advancing. Driving back the lead company, Morgan was forced to retreat into the woods when Frasers men appeared on his left. With Morgan under pressure, Arnold funneled additional forces into the fight. Through the afternoon intense fighting raged around the farm with Morgans riflemen decimating the British artillery. Sensing an opportunity to crush Burgoyne, Arnold requested additional troops from Gates but was refused and issued orders to fall back. Ignoring these, he continued the fight. Hearing the battle along the river, Riedesel turned inland with most of his command. Appearing on the American right, Riedesels men rescued the situation and opened a heavy fire. Under pressure and with the sun setting, the Americans withdrew back to Bemis Heights. Though a tactical victory, Burgoyne suffered over 600 casualties as opposed to around 300 for the Americans. Consolidating his position, Burgoyne put off further attacks in the hope that Major General Sir Henry Clinton could provide assistance from New York City. While Clinton did raid up the Hudson in early October, he was not able to provide aid. In the American camp, the situation between the commanders reached a crisis when Gates did not mention Arnold in his report to Congress regarding the Freemans Farm battle. Devolving into a shouting match, Gates relieved Arnold and gave his command to Major General Benjamin Lincoln. Though granted a transfer back to Washingtons army, Arnold remained as more and more men arrived in camp. Battle of Bemis Heights Concluding the Clinton was not coming and with his supply situation critical Burgoyne called a council of war. Though Fraser and Riedesel advocated retreat, Burgoyne refused and they agreed instead upon a reconnaissance in force against the American left on October 7. Led by Fraser, this force numbered around 1,500 men and advanced from Freeman Farm to the Barber Wheatfield. Here it encountered Morgan as well as the brigades of Brigadier Generals Enoch Poor and Ebenezer Learned. While Morgan attacked the light infantry on Frasers right, Poor shattered the grenadiers on the left. Hearing the fighting, Arnold dashed from his tent and took de facto command. With his line collapsing, Fraser tried to rally his men but was shot and killed. Beaten, the British fell back to the Balcarres Redoubt at Freemans Farm and Breymanns Redoubt slightly to the northwest. Attacking Balcarres, Arnold was initially repulsed, but worked men around the flank and took it from behind. Organizing an attack on Breymanns, Arnold was shot in the leg. The redoubt subsequently fell to American assaults. In the fighting, Burgoyne lost another 600 men, while American losses were only around 150. Gates remained in camp for the duration of the battle. Aftermath The next evening, Burgoyne began withdrawing north. Halting at Saratoga and with his supplies exhausted, he called a council of war. While his officers favored fighting their way north, Burgoyne ultimately decided to open surrender negotiations with Gates. Though he initially demanded an unconditional surrender, Gates agreed to a treaty of convention whereby Burgoynes men would be taken to Boston as prisoners and permitted to return to England on the condition that they not fight in North America again. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered his remaining 5,791 men. The turning point of the war, the victory at Saratoga proved key in securing a treaty of alliance with France.

ACT Admission Ticket What It Is, How to Print, and What to Do If You Lose It

ACT Admission Ticket What It Is, How to Print, and What to Do If You Lose It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re planning on taking the ACT, you may know that you’ll need an admission ticket (and photo ID) to get into the testing center. Because ACT, Inc. makes such a big deal about these tickets, figuring out how to get it just right can be one of the most stressful parts of registering for the test. But don’t worry- the process isn’t as complicated as it seems. This guide will walk you through exactly what the ACT admission ticket is, how to get one, and what to do if you lose yours(it’s not as bad you think!). What Is the ACT Admission Ticket? The admission ticket serves as proof that you are registered to take the ACT on a given day. The proctors won’t let you into the testing center without it.Your ACT ticketalso has helpful information about your testing center (for you) and any accommodations you might need (for your proctor). I've included a sample ticket below so you can see what it looks like. I've numbered the different sections of the ACT admissionticket, so that we can go through them one at a time. Photo: Your picture! More info on how to pick and upload one below. Test Info: This section indicates when and where you're testing and which version of the test you're taking. Matching Information: The information that ACT, Inc. will use to match you to your test. Be sure to enter it on your answer sheet exactly as it appears on the ticket. PersonalInfo: Your name and address. Test Center Messages: Information about what to do when you get to the testing center: where to park, how to find your room, etc. At the bottom of the page there is additional information, including your testing number and any accommodations you need. Why Do You Need an Admission Ticket? The ACT admission ticket shows that you are the person actually signed up to take the test- hence why it has a picture. The ticket is a relatively new requirement and is designed to make it harder for people to cheat by having someone else take the test in their place. Remember that you must bring it with you to the testing center or you won’t be allowed to take the ACT. How Do You Get an ACT Admission Ticket? The first step to getting an ACT admission ticket is registering for the test. If you haven’t already done so, youmight want to take a look at our step-by-step instructions, with images, forthe registration process. I would recommend registering online, but most of the following info applies even if you registered by mail, although, in that case, you should receive an admission ticket in the mail. During the registration process there are two main steps you need to complete to get your ACT admission ticket- I'll got through how to complete both of them. How to Upload a Photo Towards the end of the registration process, you’ll be asked to upload a photo. There are a lot of restrictions on what kind of photo you can use, and they can feel somewhat overwhelming. Here are ACT, Inc.’s guidelines: Your photo must be a clear image of ONLY you (not blurry, grainy or fuzzy) against a plain, background. The photo must be a full face-and-shoulders shot, squarely facing the camera. You must use a portrait, not landscape, photo that is correctly oriented. You must be facing the camera. You cannot wear dark glasses. If you wear a head covering daily for religious reasons, adjust it to provide a full-face view. I know that’s a lot, but don’t panic. Let’s break it down into a few key points: The photo should show your entire head and your shoulders- that’s all. You must be easily recognizable- the photo can’t be blurry or dark and you shouldn’t have anything obscuring your face. The photo should have a plain background. If you have a digital version of your school photo, just use that! Another good option is using a webcam to just snap a photo with your computer- as long as you do this in a well lit place, the photo quality will be fine. Otherwise, get a friend or family member to help you take a headshot with a phone or digital camera. Remember that the photo doesn’t need to be awesome, just recognizable- no one but your proctor and your school will see it. If you registered by mail, you will still need to either upload a photo or submit a hard copy. How to Print Your ACT Admission Ticket After completing the registration process and uploading a photo, you'll be asked if you want to print youradmission ticket or wait until later. Either is fine- you can access the ticketanytime through your ACT account. Only have a black and white printer? Don't worry about it. Your ACT ticket printout can be in either color or black and white, as long as the information is clearly visible. But What Should You Do If... ...You Lose Your Ticket? Don’t panic! This problem is easily solved: you can easily reprint your ACT admission ticket.Just go to the ACT website, sign in to your account, and print your ticket! You can use this methodeven if you registered by mail, but if for some reason you can’t print your ticket call ACT, Inc. at 319-337-1270.Keep in mind that calling at the very last minute won't do youmuchgood- if they need to send you a new ticket by mail it will probably take at least a week. ...You Realize that the Information on the Ticket Is Incorrect? Again, this problem is easily fixed. If you realize that your name is misspelled or your address is missing a number, just log into your account and click on "Make changes to your registration." Remember to reprint the ticket once you’ve made your changes, so it’s up-to-date. ...You Get to the Test Center and Don't Have Your Admission Ticket? You cannot take the test without your ticket, so you want to avoid this situation at all costs. The night before the test, gather everything you need for the test together and put it in one easily accessible place. If you’re prone to losing things (or just very paranoid), you can try: making a backup copy and putting it in the car. taping the ticket and your ID to your calculator. If you do end up at the test center with no ticket, you can try having a friend or family member who lives nearby print it out and bring it to you. But the proctors won’t wait, so again, do everything you can to make sure you have it. Key Facts to Remember About the ACT Admission Ticket Let's review some of important points you'll need to keep in mind about the ACT ticket: You must have your admission ticket to get into the test center. Print it out at least the night before, and make multiple copies if you often lose things. Your picture must be recognizable as you and it must have a plain background. You can reprint your ACT admission ticket at any time. Just log into your online ACT account. More Recommended Reading If you're feeling confusedabout the registration process, take a look atourstep-by-step walkthrough of how to sign up for the testand our guides to the best test date for you, the total cost of the ACT, how to cancel your registration, and how to decide whether to sendthe four free score reports. If, however, you're taking the test very soon, check outthese helpfultest day tips that can raise your ACT score even without time to practice. Finally, if you have a bit more time,you might want to read throughsome of our ACTprep materials. We have great guides for all foursections, including general strategies, study tips, and in depth skill reviews(there are links to each section on the right). Try starting with our guide to the 5 tips that you must use, which will get you thinking about the test in the right way. Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Alex Heimbach About the Author Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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