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Fall Lecture Series: Did the Battle of Redbank bring France into the War of Independence?

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

November 12, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.
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Americans generally assume that the surrender of Sir John Burgoyne to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga on 17 October 1777 caused France to openly enter the American War of Independence. The American leadership interpreted the defeat at Saratoga within their military and political needs. Saratoga was of great military importance, an immense morale booster and extensively used for propaganda purposes. But France’s decision to join the American rebels came after years of preparation and was by no means monocausal. For King Louis XVI and his Foreign minister, the comte de Vergennes, the American exploitation of the victory for domestic purposes was of little relevance.

Their decision to join the Americans was based on where France placed Saratoga within the global political and military context and how it promoted, or hurt, French interests. The American war was waged on the fringes of European civilization, and France was primarily concerned with the impact an American victory, or defeat, would have on the balance of powers in Europe in general and on France in particular. This illustrated talk highlights the French interpretation of the Hessian debacle in the trenches around Fort Redbank and how that interpretation shaped Louis XVI’s decision to openly enter the war.

Robert A. Selig is a historical consultant who received his Ph.D. in history from the Universität Würzburg in Germany in 1988. He is a specialist on the role of French forces under the comte de Rochambeau during the American War of Independence and serves as project historian for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Project.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!

UPCOMING EVENTS

On behalf of the Town of Saratoga, the Village of Schuylerville, the Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission, and the Campaign for Saratoga 250, we are honored to host students and families of young children to participate in the annual Surrender Day Ceremony, marking the 249th anniversary of the American victory at the Battles of Saratoga.

Saratoga250 will have a presence at the Saratoga County Revolutionary Run for Veterans, a 5k run at Fort Hardy Park which benefits Saratoga County Veterans.

Enjoy Saratoga250’s Siege Living History Weekend, a two-day event full of historical interpretation and activities.

Join us for an evening of history and harmony as we mark the 249th anniversary of the British surrender at Saratoga. This commemorative concert features 18th-century music performed by the renowned Musicians of Ma’alwyck, joined by award winning soprano Vedrana Kalas, and is punctuated by the insightful historical insights of featured speaker Eric Schnitzer, Saratoga NHP Ranger and Military Historian, who will share firsthand accounts of the surrender from diverse perspectives.

On the 249th anniversary of the Surrender at Saratoga, explore the sites where history was made! Saratoga250 in partnership with Saratoga National Historical Park will have five sites open and staffed where you can learn about the event known as the Turning Point of the American Revolution!

Join Saratoga National Historical Park (SNHP) to watch the renowned story featuring the Schuyler sisters on the lawn of their father’s Saratoga estate as the Schuyler sisters take center stage in the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton!”

Watch history come alive at the 250th Battles of Saratoga Reenactment. Two days of live muskets and maneuvers, October 9–10, 2027 in Saratoga, NY.

Join the Turning Point Parade marking 250 years since the Surrender at Saratoga. October 17, 2027, 10am in Schuylerville, NY.

Experience the warm glow and quiet atmosphere of an 18th‑century home lit entirely by candlelight. Presented in partnership with the
Old Saratoga Historical Association, this evening program invites visitors to explore the Schuyler estate and hear stories about the people who lived, worked, and visited there.

Saratoga 250 will host historian Ben Haley for a look at how Massachusetts and New York sought, jointly at first, to commemorate Henry Knox’s 1775–76 winter artillery trek. Haley, Director of the National Register of Historic Places program for Massachusetts, will examine how that early cooperation ultimately gave way to competing priorities and divergent interpretations.

      Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

    Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.