Turning Points and Allies

For the first years of the war, America fought alone. The major turning point came in 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga, where the Continental Army captured an entire British army.

This victory convinced the world that America could actually win. In France, American diplomat Benjamin Franklin used this news to negotiate a formal alliance.

France declared war on Britain and began sending money, troops, and its powerful navy. This foreign aid changed the war from a colonial rebellion into a global conflict.

Despite the good news from France, the Continental Army faced a brutal winter at Valley Forge (1777-1778). Soldiers suffered from freezing cold, starvation, and disease. Thousands died.

However, the army used this time to improve. A Prussian officer, Baron von Steuben, arrived to train the soldiers.

He taught them military discipline, how to march, and how to use bayonets. When spring arrived, the survivors emerged from Valley Forge not as a ragged group, but as a disciplined, professional fighting force.