Who Is Burgoyne?

Burgoyne is the name of the valiant British general who entered history books for his indomitable fighting spirit and the conquest of the fort Ticonderoga. He was also a playwright. Due to his experience and performance in the Seven Years' War against Spain, he was nominated to the British House of Commons in 1761. In the year 1772 he vehemently criticized the East India Company, and was instrumental in bringing the changes in the Regulating Act. He was sent to Boston for the American Revolution but returned home in frustration after witnessing the Bunker Hill battle.

In the year 1776, in Canada, he initiated a campaign to unite British forces from the west, north, and the south in a bid to separate the defiant New England colonies. In 1777 his army took control of Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., but his plan was foiled at the Hudson River by a larger militia of colonists. After several months of fighting, he surrendered to Gates at Saratoga Springs, New York, and returned to England where he had to face a lot of flak. Nicknamed as the "Gentleman Johnny," the "Heiress" is his most famous play (1786).

Another popular "Burgoyne" is the Fort Burgoyne which is also known as the Castle Hill Fort. It was built to protect the north east part of Dover in England. Built in the 1860s, this fort is named after General John Burgoyne, a 19th century general who was not as famous as the one described in the first two paragraphs.

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