Memorializing Saratoga Battlefield

 

Paul Perreault, left, speaks at Thursday's meeting about how local Rotary clubs, notably in Ballston Spa and Mechanicville, a century ago helped establish what has now become the Saratoga National Historical Park.

Perreault is a member of the Ballston Spa Rotary Club and a frequent guest of ours in Malta, where he serves as town historian.

In 1927, on the 150th anniversary of the battle (and well before our club in Malta was founded), 100,000 people attended a ceremony at the site. There was a 150-cannon salute, Perreault said, and speeches by three state governors including New York's Al Smith. His successor Franklin Roosevelt, who went on to become president, also helped memorialize the battle.

The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 (or battles -- there were two clashes three weeks apart) was a complete American victory over the British, whose army surrendered shortly afterward. It was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. That makes it one of the most significant events in American -- and arguably world -- history.