By Debi Lander for BylanderseaAmerica250

By the summer of 1777, the American Revolution remained a fragile experiment. George Washington had saved the Continental Army at Trenton and Princeton, (be sure to read about the famous crossing of the Delaware if you missed it: here), but survival alone would not secure independence. The army was still poorly supplied, unevenly trained, and constantly short of men. Enlistments expired. Desertions continued. Victory had proven possible, but the outcome of the war was far from certain.

British leaders believed time was on their side. If the colonies could be isolated and divided, the rebellion would collapse under its own weight. Military defeat was only one option. Political exhaustion and geographic separation might accomplish the same goal.

To that end, British commanders devised a sweeping plan to regain control of the Hudson River corridor, the natural spine of the colonies. Control the Hudson, and New England would be cut off from the middle and southern colonies. The heart of the rebellion would be isolated.

The task fell to John Burgoyne, a confident and ambitious British general. Burgoyne would march south from Canada with a large army, supported by artillery, German mercenaries, and Native allies. He expected to meet up with British forces advancing north from New York City. Together, they would crush American resistance in the region.

On paper, the plan appeared decisive.

In reality, it depended on flawless coordination, reliable supply lines, and terrain that proved anything but cooperative.