In early October 1777, during the American Revolution, 6,000 British soldiers retreated here after devastating defeats in the Battles of Saratoga fought eight miles to the south. Surrounded, battered, and besieged by the American army, the forces of the Crown all surrendered on October 17, 1777. An army of amateurs had defeated a world power. The victory at Saratoga spurred international aid to help the United States win its independence, which spread the ideal of freedom throughout the world.