1777
British Surrender at Saratoga
Burgoyne's invasion from Canada bogged down in upstate New York's forests, harassed by Yankee militiamen. Surrounded near Saratoga, his army of 6,000 stacked arms. The victory convinced Louis XVI of France to recognize American independence and enter the war - the decisive diplomatic consequence of a tactical collapse. French money, ships, and regulars would arrive within a year, transforming the rebellion into a world war.
Battle of Princeton
Washington, fresh from crossing the Delaware, wheeled his ragged army south and surprised three British regiments at Princeton. He personally rode into the musket smoke to rally wavering troops. Two small victories in ten days - Trenton and Princeton - saved a revolution that had been, a week earlier, on the edge of extinction.
Stars and Stripes Adopted
The Continental Congress resolved that the flag of the United States would bear thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. No one recorded the debate or even who proposed it. Betsy Ross's role is legend, not evidence. The republic acquired its most durable symbol almost as an afterthought.
Washington Winters at Valley Forge
The Continental Army shivered into winter quarters in rolling Pennsylvania hills. No shoes, no blankets, no pay. A German drill-master named Steuben arrived and, cursing in mixed French and German, turned farmers into soldiers. Washington held them together with promises and personal presence. Two thousand died. The army that emerged in spring was disciplined, drilled, and angry enough to fight the British on even terms at last.