The Battle of Valcour Island was one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War. Most of the ships in the American fleet under the command of Benedict Arnold were captured or destroyed by a British force. The American defense of Lake Champlain stalled British plans to reach the upper Hudson River valley. Valcour Bay, the site of the battle, is now a National Historic Landmark, as is Philadelphia, which sank shortly after the October 11 battle.
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