Saratoga: The Turning Point
Click here to listen to a message from our producer.
This noble, veteran-owned independent feature film project is dedicated to bringing the compelling story of how the victories at Bennington and Saratoga kept the sacred flame of liberty from being extinguished during one of the darkest hours of the American War for Independence. This project needs a miracle just as America needed a miracle in the early autumn of 1777. Please help us bring the story of how the American Revolution was saved in Upstate NY to the widest possible audience in time for the 250th anniversary on October 17, 2027.
We Need Your Help
Our Mission
The development of a motion picture that evocatively and compellingly tells the story of the Battles of Saratoga in a way that rivals iconic masterpieces such as “Last of the Mohicans”, “Dances with Wolves”, “Glory”, and “Saving Private Ryan”. This film will aim to vividly depict the dramatic events and autumn grandeur that set New York’s Upper Hudson Valley ablaze in 1777.
Support
To my fellow veterans: Your help is urgently needed to complete an important mission. We can’t do it without you. We need to share our Revolutionary War history and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the turning point of the American War for Independence.
Spread the Word
What could be better than America’s veterans and fellow patriots banding together to tell the compelling story of the turning point of the American War for Independence? Please spread the word. Your help will be the difference as I simply can’t do this without you. Together, we can do this.
Reels
The compelling story of how citizen soldiers rallied to reinforce the American Army in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley and heroically helped save the American War for Independence in the Fall of 1777.
Calling All Veterans & Patriots
Hello, I’m Mark O’Rourke. I’m a proud United States Army veteran and history buff.
I’d like to briefly share some of my background so that you can hopefully gain a clear sense as to why I urgently need the help of my fellow veterans as well as from my fellow patriots across the nation. I sincerely want to establish an ironclad trust with you by sharing who I am and why I have an important mission that I am asking my fellow veterans and patriots across the nation to help me complete.
As an attorney and veteran, I have proudly taken numerous oaths to support and defend The Constitution of the United States. And, I rightfully take these solemn pledges and ethical obligations very seriously.
We Need You
Please Listen
THE STORY
Timeline of Events
The Turning Point of the Revolution
Saratoga is one of the most important victories in both western civilization and world history.
Scroll through the timeline below to read about the crucial points that occur throughout the Battles of Saratoga. Click here for more about the story.
May 1776
Gen. John Burgoyne arrives in Canada with British reinforcements.
February – March 1777
Gen. John Burgoyne submits his battle plans, which are ultimately approved on March 2, 1777.
June 30, 1777
British forces appear near Fort Ticonderoga.
July 5, 1777
American forces evacuate peacefully, and the British take control of the fort.
August 1777
Burgoyne attempts to raid the supply depot in Bennington, Vermont and the British are ultimately defeated.
September 19, 1777
Burgoyne divides his army, numbering about 7,500, into three columns to probe American defenses at Freeman’s Farm. The British sustains heavy casualties, losing twice as many soldiers as the Americans. The American army is replenished and grows to 13,000 strong.
October 7, 1777
Burgoyne sends a reconnaissance force to attack Americans at Bemis Heights, but the patriots get wind of the plan and force the British to withdraw to their well-defended Balcarres Redoubt.
October 8, 1777
Burgoyne retreats and the British army attempts to escape north, but a cold, hard rain forces them to stop and encamp near the town of Saratoga. Hungry, weary, and out of options, they dig in and prepare to defend themselves.
October 13, 1777
The Americans have the British surrounded.
October 17, 1777
After negotiations, Burgoyne’s army surrenders.The American defeat of the British army lifted patriot morale, furthered the hope for independence, and helped to secure the foreign support needed to win the war.
Why?
To date, there has surprisingly not been a major motion picture or feature film that compellingly presents the fascinating story of the stirring triumphs at Bennington and Saratoga and their profound, enduring impact on American and world history. While iconic battles such as Bunker Hill, Lexington, Concord, Trenton, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, Midway, D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and Iwo Jima are well-known, Saratoga’s singular importance – as the crucial victory which helped preserve America’s bold experiment in limited government – is unfortunately less understood. The stunning triumphs that occurred in the Upper Hudson Valley in the late summer and early autumn of 1777 nevertheless contributed to one of the most consequential victories in world history. The reality that Saratoga ultimately became the turning point of the American War for Independence is transcended by the fact that Burgoyne’s shocking surrender also marked the beginning of the end of centuries of repressive rule by despots and tyrants around the globe.
Key Facts About the Project
Veteran-owned and operated project advised by the nation’s most preeminent military historians and institutions.
Screenplay written by veteran industry screenwriter and was carefully composed to be faithful to the actual history.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
— PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY
May all of you, as Americans, never forget your heroic origins and never fail to seek divine guidance… We are forever indebted to those that have given their lives that we might be free.
— PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
Join Our Mission
Our crucial mission cannot be completed without your help. Let’s do our part, together.
We are calling on America’s Patriots & Veterans to make a donation towards this worthy project which was started more than 10 years ago.