Description
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician, and playwright. He commanded a British force that moved south from Canada. In 1777 he captured Fort Ticonderoga and moved on toward Saratoga, where his army was surrounded by superior American forces. After fighting two small battles near Saratoga, he surrendered his entire army of 5,800 men in October 1777. This was a turning point in the war, as it resulted in foreign assistance coming to the aid of the colonies.
In 1755 the French started construction of Fort Carillon. Four years later they abandoned the fort and blew up the powder magazine when British forces laid siege. The British rebuilt the fort and renamed it Fort Ticonderoga. In 1775 Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys captured the fort. It was the first victory of the Revolutionary War.
The Revolutionary War was fought from 1775 to 1783. It began as a revolt of the colonies against what they believed was unfair taxation. While the war started as a conflict between Great Britain and the thirteen American colonies, it soon became a global conflict. France actively sided with the colonies, and the French naval fleet was instrumental in defeating the British at Yorktown. Holland supplied the colonies with weapons, while Spain supplied funding and diverted British forces by fighting on a second front and winning back Spanish forts in Florida that they lost during the Seven Years’ War. No independent country sided with Great Britain, but Britain employed German mercenaries, known as Hessians.
This General John Burgoyne history mug is part of our American Revolutionary War series which includes many of the notable figures who played significant roles during this conflict.
The biographical History Mugs were created to teach and inspire individuals to learn about our diverse and interesting history. The biographies were researched and written by history enthusiast, Robert Compton. He colorized most of the historic photos and images used on the mugs, which were originally black and white or sepia-tone. The images and biographies are imprinted on mugs at his studio in rural Vermont.
- Mugs are food and microwave safe.
- To preserve photographic quality we recommend hand washing.
- Mugs are usually shipped within 3-5 days.
