This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands,-- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. ~~William Shakespeare, Richard III



Saturday, October 17, 2009

This Day in History...

October 17, 1777 - In the first large scale surrender of British troops in the Revolutionary War, British general John Burgoyne surrenders his 5,000 British and Hessian troops to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York. Soon after the victory, King Louis XVI of France agreed to recognize the independence of the U.S and the French ambassador began arrangements for French aid to the cause; this aid became crucial to the eventual American victory.
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1 comment:

  1. Christy BOctober 17, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    Gates got credit for this, but he was such a pansy. The credit for the victory should have gone to Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan.

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