After the initial fight, more battles took place. Eventually, the British General Cornwallis had to surrender. At this point the British have realized that they have more-or-less lost the war. This is generally considered to be the last battle of the American Revolution. Washington and his men followed the British to Yorktown and found them camped out on the York River. With the help of the French, Washington was able to completely flank the British troops and defeat them. The British moved to Virginia and quickly destroyed ships, docks, warehouses and tobacco plantations. Washington quickly sent 1,200 Continentals to try and defend the area. The British decided to continue their raids. They landed in Yorktown in March of To wear out the British troops, American generals lead them on a wild goose chase. The Continental Army moved across North Carolina and destroyed the spirit of the British with raids. The British generals realized that the only way to get ahead and win the war would be to bring the entire British force to Virginia and stop the chase. As 1781 began, the British army controlled three of the major ports in America- New York, Charleston and Savannah, Georgia. However, neither the British nor the Americans were any closer to victory than they were before. The British did not have the manpower and the Americans did not have the firepower. By the Spring of 1780, the American Revolution had continued on for five long years. During the summer of the same year, a large troop of 5,000 French soldiers arrived in Rhode Island to assist the Continental Army. Results of The Battle of Saratoga The French were very impressed by the American victory and started to believe that perhaps the Americans could actually win the war. The French sent them guns, ships and soldiers to aid the fighting. Other countries, such as Spain, also began to recognize the Continental Army as a strong force and wanted to help the colonists too. The Battle of Saratoga In October of 1777 the British and Continental Armies fought in two battles, 18 days apart in Saratoga, New York. Though the British were hoping to win, the Continental Army defeated them and General Burgoyne had to surrender. This was a MAJOR victory for the Americans and a turning point in the war. The French were still very angry with the British forces so they decided to turn their attention to the Continental Army and considered helping them in their effort to defeat the British Army, but this all depended on how the Continental Army fought and whether they could win more battles. Taking the Hudson The British Army wanted to take control of the Hudson River Valley to cut off New England from the other colonies. General Burgoyne, a British officer with approached Albany, New York, from Canada with 7000 troops. On his way, Burgoyne defeated American forces at Fort Ticonderoga. Another group of troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger, were to join him from Canada. General Howe also was to join him from New York. Together they were to attack the American troops.