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Geographical Features that Influenced the War New York was one of the larger colonies fighting the Revolutionary War, and its many geographical features posed both problems and solutions for both sides. New York has high mountains-the Adirondacks in the northern part and the Catskills in the southern part, and many rivers. It also borders the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Ontario, a Great Lake. Its major rivers are the Mohawk, running east/west, and the Hudson River, running north/south.
Most people either lived alongside the waterways of New York or in the nearby lowlands. The reasons were simple; it was easier to travel and to farm in those areas than in the mountainous areas of the state. For those same reasons, most battles were fought in the lowlands of the state. One of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War was the one at Saratoga in 1777. For many reasons it is called the turning point of the war. A later lesson will speak about the specifics of the battle, but here it is important to note Saratoga's geographical location. The British were waging a "three-pronged" attack to capture Albany.
Burgoyne was to travel down Lake Champlain to Albany. General St. Leger and his troops were to use the inland waterways of New York. They came up the St. Lawrence River and into Lake Ontario, landed at Oswego, and used the Oswego River and Oneida Lake to get further eastward towards Albany. A third group, under General Howe was to march northward along the Hudson River, from New York City (already in British control). As you can see, all three "prongs" (groups) were using the natural waterways of New York for the purpose of easier travel. The battle was supposed to be fought near Albany, but was fought near Saratoga, and thus the name. It was a Patriot victory, not one for Burgoyne. But it was this battle that really showed the importance of the rivers and the mountains in the Revolutionary War. DEFINITIONS: geographical features: landforms such as mountains, rivers, valleys that make up the surface features of an area
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