As the American struggle for independence intensified, Saratoga became a focal point of warring activities. Both colonists and loyalists maintained forts, camps, and officer headquarters within town. In 1777, after the two Battles of Saratoga, American forces gained the surrender of British
Gen. John Burgoyne, thus turning the tide of the Revolutionary War. The name Saratoga comes from the Mohawk word meaning either "place of the swift water" or...